diff --git a/docs/alpha/michelson.rst b/docs/alpha/michelson.rst
index 4710b039388f529ab2429515295c9e3146156022..6d53552a90ec8c90c7f63a8a3a7a5285f360a26c 100644
--- a/docs/alpha/michelson.rst
+++ b/docs/alpha/michelson.rst
@@ -667,60 +667,13 @@ Operations on ``big_maps``
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.. _OperationsOnBigMaps_alpha:
-Big maps have three possible representations. A map literal is always
-a valid representation for a big map. Big maps can also be represented
-by integers called big-map identifiers. Finally, big maps can be
-represented as pairs of a big-map identifier (an integer) and a
-big-map diff (written in the same syntax as a map whose values are
-options).
-
-So for example, ``{ Elt "bar" True ; Elt "foo" False }``, ``42``, and
-``Pair 42 { Elt "foo" (Some False) }`` are all valid representations
-of type ``big_map string bool``.
-
-The behavior of big-map operations is the same as if they were normal
-maps, except that under the hood, the elements are loaded and
-deserialized on demand.
-
-- ``EMPTY_BIG_MAP 'key 'val``: Build a new, empty big map from keys of a
- given type to values of another given type.
-
- The ``'key`` type must be comparable (the ``COMPARE`` primitive must
- be defined over it).
-
-::
-
- :: 'S -> map 'key 'val : 'S
-
-- ``GET``: Access an element in a ``big_map``, returns an optional value to be
- checked with ``IF_SOME``.
-
-::
-
- :: 'key : big_map 'key 'val : 'S -> option 'val : 'S
-
-- ``MEM``: Check for the presence of an element in a ``big_map``.
-
-::
-
- :: 'key : big_map 'key 'val : 'S -> bool : 'S
-
-- ``UPDATE``: Assign or remove an element in a ``big_map``.
-
-::
-
- :: 'key : option 'val : big_map 'key 'val : 'S -> big_map 'key 'val : 'S
-
-
-- ``GET_AND_UPDATE``: A combination of the ``GET`` and ``UPDATE`` instructions.
-
-::
-
- :: 'key : option 'val : big_map 'key 'val : 'S -> option 'val : big_map 'key 'val : 'S
+A detailed description of the following instructions can be found in the `interactive Michelson reference manual `__.
-This instruction is similar to ``UPDATE`` but it also returns the
-value that was previously stored in the ``big_map`` at the same key as
-``GET`` would.
+- ``EMPTY_BIG_MAP 'key 'val``: Build a new, empty big map (`documentation `__).
+- ``GET``: Access an element in a ``big_map`` (`documentation `__).
+- ``MEM``: Check for the presence of an element in a ``big_map`` (`documentation `__).
+- ``UPDATE``: Add, update, or remove an element in a ``big_map`` (`documentation `__).
+- ``GET_AND_UPDATE``: A combination of the ``GET`` and ``UPDATE`` instructions (`documentation `__).
Operations on optional values