ModelRefs / Positional Encoding — AI Glossary
Positional Encoding — AI Glossary
A technique injecting sequence-position information into token embeddings so a transformer can reason about word order. Also called position encoding.
Overview
Transformers process tokens in parallel, losing inherent order. Positional encodings—sinusoidal (original), learned absolute, or relative (RoPE, ALiBi)—inject position into embeddings. Choice affects context length, generalization, and long-range attention quality.
Reference details
| Topic | architecture |
|---|---|
| Also known as | position encoding |
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-24 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is Positional Encoding?
A technique injecting sequence-position information into token embeddings so a transformer can reason about word order.
Is Positional Encoding the same as position encoding?
Yes — position encoding are common aliases for Positional Encoding.
What concepts are related to Positional Encoding?
Closely related concepts include rope, alibi, transformer, attention.