seniorGradient Descent
What is entropy in Gradient Descent-based optimization?
Updated May 16, 2026
Short answer
Entropy measures uncertainty and is often used as a regularization term in optimization.
Deep explanation
Entropy appears in optimization through maximum entropy principles and cross-entropy loss. In Gradient Descent, entropy encourages exploration and prevents overconfident predictions. It is widely used in classification models to stabilize training and improve generalization.
Real-world example
Softmax classifiers use cross-entropy loss during training.
Common mistakes
- Confusing entropy with loss magnitude only.
Follow-up questions
- Why is entropy maximized in some models?
- What is cross-entropy?