Geometric Evolution Maps: Extracting Stable Concept Probes from Transformer Residual Streams
A concept probe is only as reliable as the layer it is taken from. Probing at a fixed late layer, or at the peak of a separation curve, ignores a structural feature of how concepts form: the probe direction rotates substantially during assembly and does not settle until after the Concept Allocation Zone (CAZ) in which it forms. We introduce Geometric Evolution Maps (GEMs). A GEM records a concept's directional trajectory across one CAZ segment, takes the settled direction at that segment's final layer, and locates the handoff layer immediately beyond it - the first layer at which that direction can be evaluated outside the window it was estimated on. The handoff layer is derived from the ...
| Authors | James Henry |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.LG |
| Published | 25 May 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 19 August 2026 |
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