from tensorflow.python.ops import check_ops

      if x_value_static < 0:
        raise ValueError("%s.value=%d cannot be negative" %
                         (x.name, x_value_static))
      return x
    if self.validate_args:
      x = control_flow_ops.with_dependencies([
          check_ops.assert_rank(x, 0),
          check_ops.assert_non_negative(x)], x)
    return x

  def _introspect_ndims(self, ndims):
    """Helper to establish some properties of input ndims args."""
