# Gradient Descent with Large Step Size Restores Symmetry in Deep Linear Networks with Multi-Pathway

> Source: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.05219>
> Published: 2026-06-05 04:00:00+00:00

arXiv:2606.05219v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Recent analyses of multi-pathway Deep Linear Networks use Gradient Flow to predict a "winner-takes-all" specialization in which path symmetry breaks and each feature concentrates in a single pathway. In this work, we show that discrete Gradient Descent (GD) with a large step size tells a different story. We prove that single-path solutions are sharp minima, whereas distributing signals across pathways reduces sharpness by a factor that decreases with both the number of pathways and depth. Consequently, while early training reproduces the depth-driven symmetry breaking predicted by GF, oscillations at the Edge of Stability subsequently override this tendency and drive the network into a re-balancing phase, where signals redistribute across pathways. Together, these results clarify how depth shapes pathway competition and explain why large-step GD favors shared representations rather than persistent single-pathway dominance.