torch.compile: The Mental Model That Actually Matters
torch.compile: The Mental Model That Actually Matters Most writeups of torch.compile are either a flag cheat-sheet or a file-by-file museum tour. Neither helps when a training step is only 1.2× faster and you do not know whether to blame graph breaks, recompiles, or Inductor. The useful model is simpler: compile is specialization under recorded assumptions. Dynamo captures a region, Inductor emits kernels tuned to that region, and guards decide whether the specialization still applies. Everything else — FX, AOTAutograd, Triton — is machinery in service of that contract. ...