softmax
softmax noun: a generalization of the logistic function that "squashes" a K-dimensional vector mathbf z of arbitrary real values to a K-dimensional vector σ( mathbf z) of real values in the range (0, 1). Also the alternative spelling of softmaxx.
Noun
softmax (uncountable)
- A generalization of the logistic function that "squashes" a K-dimensional vector mathbf z of arbitrary real values to a K-dimensional vector σ( mathbf z) of real values in the range (0, 1).
Also used as
softmax is also the alternative spelling of softmaxx.
Forms of softmax
| third-person singular present | softmaxes |
|---|---|
| present participle | softmaxing |
| past participle | softmaxed |
| past | softmaxed |
Origin of softmax
Coined by John S. Bridle in 1989, on the grounds of the function being "a differentiable generalisation of the 'winner-take-all' operation of picking the maximum value".
From soft + -max.
Questions about softmax
- What does softmax mean?
- Softmax means a generalization of the logistic function that "squashes" a K-dimensional vector mathbf z of arbitrary real values to a K-dimensional vector σ( mathbf z) of real values in the range (0, 1).
- What part of speech is softmax?
- Softmax is a noun.
Words near softmax in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: softmax (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Cite this entry: “softmax.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/softmax. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.