154 research outputs found
Towards Neuromorphic Gradient Descent: Exact Gradients and Low-Variance Online Estimates for Spiking Neural Networks
Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) are biologically-plausible models that can run on low-powered non-Von Neumann neuromorphic hardware, positioning them as promising alternatives to conventional Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) for energy-efficient edge computing and robotics. Over the past few years, the Gradient Descent (GD) and Error Backpropagation (BP) algorithms used in DNNs have inspired various training methods for SNNs. However, the non-local and the reverse nature of BP, combined with the inherent non-differentiability of spikes, represent fundamental obstacles to computing gradients with SNNs directly on neuromorphic hardware. Therefore, novel approaches are required to overcome the limitations of GD and BP and enable online gradient computation on neuromorphic hardware.
In this thesis, I address the limitations of GD and BP with SNNs by proposing three algorithms. First, I extend a recent method that computes exact gradients with temporally-coded SNNs by relaxing the firing constraint of temporal coding and allowing multiple spikes per neuron. My proposed method generalizes the computation of exact gradients with SNNs and enhances the tradeoffs between performance and various other aspects of spiking neurons. Next, I introduce a novel alternative to BP that computes low-variance gradient estimates in a local and online manner. Compared to other alternatives to BP, the proposed method demonstrates an improved convergence rate and increased performance with DNNs. Finally, I combine these two methods and propose an algorithm that estimates gradients with SNNs in a manner that is compatible with the constraints of neuromorphic hardware. My empirical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the resulting algorithm in training SNNs without performing BP
Unveiling the frontiers of deep learning: innovations shaping diverse domains
Deep learning (DL) enables the development of computer models that are
capable of learning, visualizing, optimizing, refining, and predicting data. In
recent years, DL has been applied in a range of fields, including audio-visual
data processing, agriculture, transportation prediction, natural language,
biomedicine, disaster management, bioinformatics, drug design, genomics, face
recognition, and ecology. To explore the current state of deep learning, it is
necessary to investigate the latest developments and applications of deep
learning in these disciplines. However, the literature is lacking in exploring
the applications of deep learning in all potential sectors. This paper thus
extensively investigates the potential applications of deep learning across all
major fields of study as well as the associated benefits and challenges. As
evidenced in the literature, DL exhibits accuracy in prediction and analysis,
makes it a powerful computational tool, and has the ability to articulate
itself and optimize, making it effective in processing data with no prior
training. Given its independence from training data, deep learning necessitates
massive amounts of data for effective analysis and processing, much like data
volume. To handle the challenge of compiling huge amounts of medical,
scientific, healthcare, and environmental data for use in deep learning, gated
architectures like LSTMs and GRUs can be utilized. For multimodal learning,
shared neurons in the neural network for all activities and specialized neurons
for particular tasks are necessary.Comment: 64 pages, 3 figures, 3 table
Less is More: Restricted Representations for Better Interpretability and Generalizability
Deep neural networks are prevalent in supervised learning for large amounts of tasks such as image classification, machine translation and even scientific discovery.
Their success is often at the sacrifice of interpretability and generalizability. The increasing complexity of models and involvement of the pre-training process make the inexplicability more imminent. The outstanding performance when labeled data are abundant while prone to overfit when labeled data are limited demonstrates the difficulty of deep neural networks' generalizability to different datasets.
This thesis aims to improve interpretability and generalizability by restricting representations. We choose to approach interpretability by focusing on attribution analysis to understand which features contribute to prediction on BERT, and to approach generalizability by focusing on effective methods in a low-data regime.
We consider two strategies of restricting representations: (1) adding bottleneck, and (2) introducing compression. Given input x, suppose we want to learn y with the latent representation z (i.e. x→z→y), adding bottleneck means adding function R such that L(R(z)) < L(z) and introducing compression means adding function R so that L(R(y)) < L(y) where L refers to the number of bits. In other words, the restriction is added either in the middle of the pipeline or at the end of it.
We first introduce how adding information bottleneck can help attribution analysis and apply it to investigate BERT's behavior on text classification in Chapter 3.
We then extend this attribution method to analyze passage reranking in Chapter 4, where we conduct a detailed analysis to understand cross-layer and cross-passage behavior.
Adding bottleneck can not only provide insight to understand deep neural networks but can also be used to increase generalizability.
In Chapter 5, we demonstrate the equivalence between adding bottleneck and doing neural compression. We then leverage this finding with a framework called Non-Parametric learning by Compression with Latent Variables (NPC-LV), and show how optimizing neural compressors can be used in the non-parametric image classification with few labeled data.
To further investigate how compression alone helps non-parametric learning without latent variables (NPC), we carry out experiments with a universal compressor gzip on text classification in Chapter 6.
In Chapter 7, we elucidate methods of adopting the perspective of doing compression but without the actual process of compression using T5.
Using experimental results in passage reranking, we show that our method is highly effective in a low-data regime when only one thousand query-passage pairs are available.
In addition to the weakly supervised scenario, we also extend our method to large language models like GPT under almost no supervision --- in one-shot and zero-shot settings. The experiments show that without extra parameters or in-context learning, GPT can be used for semantic similarity, text classification, and text ranking and outperform strong baselines, which is presented in Chapter 8.
The thesis proposes to tackle two big challenges in machine learning --- "interpretability" and "generalizability" through restricting representation. We provide both theoretical derivation and empirical results to show the effectiveness of using information-theoretic approaches. We not only design new algorithms but also provide numerous insights on why and how "compression" is so important in understanding deep neural networks and improving generalizability
On the Utility of Representation Learning Algorithms for Myoelectric Interfacing
Electrical activity produced by muscles during voluntary movement is a reflection of the firing patterns of relevant motor neurons and, by extension, the latent motor intent driving the movement. Once transduced via electromyography (EMG) and converted into digital form, this activity can be processed to provide an estimate of the original motor intent and is as such a feasible basis for non-invasive efferent neural interfacing. EMG-based motor intent decoding has so far received the most attention in the field of upper-limb prosthetics, where alternative means of interfacing are scarce and the utility of better control apparent. Whereas myoelectric prostheses have been available since the 1960s, available EMG control interfaces still lag behind the mechanical capabilities of the artificial limbs they are intended to steer—a gap at least partially due to limitations in current methods for translating EMG into appropriate motion commands. As the relationship between EMG signals and concurrent effector kinematics is highly non-linear and apparently stochastic, finding ways to accurately extract and combine relevant information from across electrode sites is still an active area of inquiry.This dissertation comprises an introduction and eight papers that explore issues afflicting the status quo of myoelectric decoding and possible solutions, all related through their use of learning algorithms and deep Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. Paper I presents a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for multi-label movement decoding of high-density surface EMG (HD-sEMG) signals. Inspired by the successful use of CNNs in Paper I and the work of others, Paper II presents a method for automatic design of CNN architectures for use in myocontrol. Paper III introduces an ANN architecture with an appertaining training framework from which simultaneous and proportional control emerges. Paper Iv introduce a dataset of HD-sEMG signals for use with learning algorithms. Paper v applies a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) model to decode finger forces from intramuscular EMG. Paper vI introduces a Transformer model for myoelectric interfacing that do not need additional training data to function with previously unseen users. Paper vII compares the performance of a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network to that of classical pattern recognition algorithms. Lastly, paper vIII describes a framework for synthesizing EMG from multi-articulate gestures intended to reduce training burden
Application of Deep Learning Methods in Monitoring and Optimization of Electric Power Systems
This PhD thesis thoroughly examines the utilization of deep learning
techniques as a means to advance the algorithms employed in the monitoring and
optimization of electric power systems. The first major contribution of this
thesis involves the application of graph neural networks to enhance power
system state estimation. The second key aspect of this thesis focuses on
utilizing reinforcement learning for dynamic distribution network
reconfiguration. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is affirmed through
extensive experimentation and simulations.Comment: PhD thesi
Quantitative approaches for decoding the specificity of the human T cell repertoire
T cell receptor (TCR)-peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) interactions play a vital role in initiating immune responses against pathogens, and the specificity of TCRpMHC interactions is crucial for developing optimized therapeutic strategies. The advent of high-throughput immunological and structural evaluation of TCR and pMHC has provided an abundance of data for computational approaches that aim to predict favorable TCR-pMHC interactions. Current models are constructed using information on protein sequence, structures, or a combination of both, and utilize a variety of statistical learning-based approaches for identifying the rules governing specificity. This review examines the current theoretical, computational, and deep learning approaches for identifying TCR-pMHC recognition pairs, placing emphasis on each method’s mathematical approach, predictive performance, and limitations
Graph Deep Learning for Time Series Forecasting
Graph-based deep learning methods have become popular tools to process
collections of correlated time series. Differently from traditional
multivariate forecasting methods, neural graph-based predictors take advantage
of pairwise relationships by conditioning forecasts on a (possibly dynamic)
graph spanning the time series collection. The conditioning can take the form
of an architectural inductive bias on the neural forecasting architecture,
resulting in a family of deep learning models called spatiotemporal graph
neural networks. Such relational inductive biases enable the training of global
forecasting models on large time-series collections, while at the same time
localizing predictions w.r.t. each element in the set (i.e., graph nodes) by
accounting for local correlations among them (i.e., graph edges). Indeed,
recent theoretical and practical advances in graph neural networks and deep
learning for time series forecasting make the adoption of such processing
frameworks appealing and timely. However, most of the studies in the literature
focus on proposing variations of existing neural architectures by taking
advantage of modern deep learning practices, while foundational and
methodological aspects have not been subject to systematic investigation. To
fill the gap, this paper aims to introduce a comprehensive methodological
framework that formalizes the forecasting problem and provides design
principles for graph-based predictive models and methods to assess their
performance. At the same time, together with an overview of the field, we
provide design guidelines, recommendations, and best practices, as well as an
in-depth discussion of open challenges and future research directions
Behavior quantification as the missing link between fields: Tools for digital psychiatry and their role in the future of neurobiology
The great behavioral heterogeneity observed between individuals with the same
psychiatric disorder and even within one individual over time complicates both
clinical practice and biomedical research. However, modern technologies are an
exciting opportunity to improve behavioral characterization. Existing
psychiatry methods that are qualitative or unscalable, such as patient surveys
or clinical interviews, can now be collected at a greater capacity and analyzed
to produce new quantitative measures. Furthermore, recent capabilities for
continuous collection of passive sensor streams, such as phone GPS or
smartwatch accelerometer, open avenues of novel questioning that were
previously entirely unrealistic. Their temporally dense nature enables a
cohesive study of real-time neural and behavioral signals.
To develop comprehensive neurobiological models of psychiatric disease, it
will be critical to first develop strong methods for behavioral quantification.
There is huge potential in what can theoretically be captured by current
technologies, but this in itself presents a large computational challenge --
one that will necessitate new data processing tools, new machine learning
techniques, and ultimately a shift in how interdisciplinary work is conducted.
In my thesis, I detail research projects that take different perspectives on
digital psychiatry, subsequently tying ideas together with a concluding
discussion on the future of the field. I also provide software infrastructure
where relevant, with extensive documentation.
Major contributions include scientific arguments and proof of concept results
for daily free-form audio journals as an underappreciated psychiatry research
datatype, as well as novel stability theorems and pilot empirical success for a
proposed multi-area recurrent neural network architecture.Comment: PhD thesis cop
Harnessing Evolution in-Materio as an Unconventional Computing Resource
This thesis illustrates the use and development of physical conductive analogue systems for unconventional computing using the Evolution in-Materio (EiM) paradigm. EiM uses an Evolutionary Algorithm to configure and exploit a physical material (or medium) for computation. While EiM processors show promise, fundamental questions and scaling issues remain. Additionally, their development is hindered by slow manufacturing and physical experimentation. This work addressed these issues by implementing simulated models to speed up research efforts, followed by investigations of physically implemented novel in-materio devices.
Initial work leveraged simulated conductive networks as single substrate ‘monolithic’ EiM processors, performing classification by formulating the system as an optimisation problem, solved using Differential Evolution. Different material properties and algorithm parameters were isolated and investigated; which explained the capabilities of configurable parameters and showed ideal nanomaterial choice depended upon problem complexity. Subsequently, drawing from concepts in the wider Machine Learning field, several enhancements to monolithic EiM processors were proposed and investigated. These ensured more efficient use of training data, better classification decision boundary placement, an independently optimised readout layer, and a smoother search space. Finally, scalability and performance issues were addressed by constructing in-Materio Neural Networks (iM-NNs), where several EiM processors were stacked in parallel and operated as physical realisations of Hidden Layer neurons. Greater flexibility in system implementation was achieved by re-using a single physical substrate recursively as several virtual neurons, but this sacrificed faster parallelised execution. These novel iM-NNs were first implemented using Simulated in-Materio neurons, and trained for classification as Extreme Learning Machines, which were found to outperform artificial networks of a similar size. Physical iM-NN were then implemented using a Raspberry Pi, custom Hardware Interface and Lambda Diode based Physical in-Materio neurons, which were trained successfully with neuroevolution. A more complex AutoEncoder structure was then proposed and implemented physically to perform dimensionality reduction on a handwritten digits dataset, outperforming both Principal Component Analysis and artificial AutoEncoders.
This work presents an approach to exploit systems with interesting physical dynamics, and leverage them as a computational resource. Such systems could become low power, high speed, unconventional computing assets in the future
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