MechInterp Patterns

A growing catalog of recurring patterns observed during SAE feature investigation. Use this to quickly recognize common archetypes and maintain consistency in labeling.

Pattern Catalog Location

The main patterns document is at:

/mnt/e/mechinterp_runs/potential_patterns.md

Always read this file when:

1. Starting to label a new feature - check if it matches a known pattern
2. You've identified what seems like a recurring theme
3. You want consistent labeling terminology

Quick Pattern Reference

Pattern	Key Signature	Example Label
Death-Averse	SCU/SPU driver + QR/SS/CB suppressed	"Offensive Intensity (Death-Averse)"
Zombie/Respawn	QR driver + Comeback/SJ enriched	"QR Stacker (Slayer)"
Ink Efficiency	ISM/ISS/IRU driver + mobility suppressed	"Ink Economy (Anti-Mobility)"
Mobility	SSU/RSU driver + ink suppressed	"Stealth Mobility Build"
Weapon-Gated	>50% single weapon	"{Weapon} {Ability} Build"
Special Power	SPU/SCU driver + threshold effects	"Special Power Stacker"
Weak/Auxiliary	<10% decoder percentile + no structure	"Weak/Aux Feature {ID}"

When to Update the Patterns Document

Add a New Pattern When:

• You see a signature that doesn't match existing patterns
• The pattern has a clear "why would the model learn this?" explanation

Add a Feature to Existing Pattern When:

• The feature clearly matches the signature
• It reinforces the pattern interpretation

Promote to Confirmed When:

• 3+ features show the same pattern
• Signature is consistent across features

Usage in Investigation Workflow

Phase 1 (Overview): After running overview, check patterns document:

Does the family breakdown + weapon distribution match a known pattern?
If yes → Use pattern's label style and run confirmatory experiments
If no → Standard deep dive, potentially discover new pattern

Phase 5 (Label Proposal): Before finalizing label:

Is this a known pattern? → Use consistent terminology
Is this a new pattern? → Add to "Suspected Patterns" in the document

Maintaining Consistency

When labeling features that match known patterns, use consistent terminology:

Pattern	Preferred Terms
Death-Averse	"Death-Averse", "Anti-Zombie"
Zombie	"Zombie", "Respawn-Focused"
Mobility	"Mobility", "Movement"
Ink Efficiency	"Ink Economy", "Ink Efficiency"
Weapon-Gated	"{Weapon} Build", "{Weapon}-Specific"

See Also

• mechinterp-investigator: Main investigation workflow
• mechinterp-glossary-and-constraints: Ability families and terminology
• splatoon3-meta: Game meta knowledge for pattern interpretation