Statistical physics provides tools for analyzing high-dimensional problems in machine learning and theoretical neuroscience. These calculations, particularly those using the replica method, often involve lengthy derivations that can obscure physical interpretation. We give concise, non-replica derivations of several key results and highlight their underlying similarities. Specifically, we introduce a cavity approach to analyzing high-dimensional learning problems and apply it to three cases: perceptron classification of points, perceptron classification of manifolds, and kernel ridge regression. These problems share a common structure -- a bipartite system of interacting feature and datum variables -- enabling a unified analysis. For perceptron-capacity problems, we identify a symmetry that allows derivation of correct capacities through a na\"ive method. These results match those obtained through the replica method.

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