BDD, BNN, and FPGA on Fuzzy Techniques for Rapid System Analysis

This paper looks at techniques to simplify data analysis of large multivariate military sensor systems. The approach is illustrated using representative raw data from a video-scene analyzer. First, develop fuzzy neural net relations using Matlab. This represents the best fidelity fit to the data and will be used as reference for comparison. The data is then converted to Boolean, and using Boolean Decision Diagrams (BDD) techniques, to find similar relations between input vectors and output parameter. It will be shown that such Boolean techniques offer dramatic improvement in system analysis time, and with minor loss of fidelity. To further this study, Boolean Neural Net techniques (BNN) were employed to bridge the Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) to BDD representations of the data. Neural network approaches give an estimation method for the complexity of Boolean Decision Diagrams, and this can be used to predict the complexity of digital circuits. The neural network model can be used for complexity estimation over a set of BDDs derived from Boolean logic expressions. Experimental results show good correlation with theoretical results and give insights to the complexity. The BNN representations can be useful as a means to FPGA implementation of the system relationships and can be used in embedded processor based multi-variate situations

Improved Reinforcement Learning with Curriculum

Humans tend to learn complex abstract concepts faster if examples are presented in a structured manner. For instance, when learning how to play a board game, usually one of the first concepts learned is how the game ends, i.e. the actions that lead to a terminal state (win, lose or draw). The advantage of learning end-games first is that once the actions which lead to a terminal state are understood, it becomes possible to incrementally learn the consequences of actions that are further away from a terminal state - we call this an end-game-first curriculum. Currently the state-of-the-art machine learning player for general board games, AlphaZero by Google DeepMind, does not employ a structured training curriculum; instead learning from the entire game at all times. By employing an end-game-first training curriculum to train an AlphaZero inspired player, we empirically show that the rate of learning of an artificial player can be improved during the early stages of training when compared to a player not using a training curriculum.Comment: Draft prior to submission to IEEE Trans on Games. Changed paper slightl

Fairness in Credit Scoring: Assessment, Implementation and Profit Implications

The rise of algorithmic decision-making has spawned much research on fair machine learning (ML). Financial institutions use ML for building risk scorecards that support a range of credit-related decisions. Yet, the literature on fair ML in credit scoring is scarce. The paper makes two contributions. First, we provide a systematic overview of algorithmic options for incorporating fairness goals in the ML model development pipeline. In this scope, we also consolidate the space of statistical fairness criteria and examine their adequacy for credit scoring. Second, we perform an empirical study of different fairness processors in a profit-oriented credit scoring setup using seven real-world data sets. The empirical results substantiate the evaluation of fairness measures, identify more and less suitable options to implement fair credit scoring, and clarify the profit-fairness trade-off in lending decisions. Specifically, we find that multiple fairness criteria can be approximately satisfied at once and identify separation as a proper criterion for measuring the fairness of a scorecard. We also find fair in-processors to deliver a good balance between profit and fairness. More generally, we show that algorithmic discrimination can be reduced to a reasonable level at a relatively low cost.Comment: Preprint submitted to European Journal of Operational Researc

BDD, BNN, and FPGA on Fuzzy Techniques for Rapid System Analysis

This paper looks at techniques to simplify data analysis of large multivariate military sensor systems. The approach is illustrated using representative raw data from a video-scene analyzer. First, develop fuzzy neural net relations using Matlab. This represents the best fidelity fit to the data and will be used as reference for comparison. The data is then converted to Boolean, and using Boolean Decision Diagrams (BDD) techniques, to find similar relations between input vectors and output parameter. It will be shown that such Boolean techniques offer dramatic improvement in system analysis time, and with minor loss of fidelity. To further this study, Boolean Neural Net techniques (BNN) were employed to bridge the Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) to BDD representations of the data. Neural network approaches give an estimation method for the complexity of Boolean Decision Diagrams, and this can be used to predict the complexity of digital circuits. The neural network model can be used for complexity estimation over a set of BDDs derived from Boolean logic expressions. Experimental results show good correlation with theoretical results and give insights to the complexity. The BNN representations can be useful as a means to FPGA implementation of the system relationships and can be used in embedded processor based multi-variate situations