5,415 research outputs found
On the role of synaptic stochasticity in training low-precision neural networks
Stochasticity and limited precision of synaptic weights in neural network
models are key aspects of both biological and hardware modeling of learning
processes. Here we show that a neural network model with stochastic binary
weights naturally gives prominence to exponentially rare dense regions of
solutions with a number of desirable properties such as robustness and good
generalization performance, while typical solutions are isolated and hard to
find. Binary solutions of the standard perceptron problem are obtained from a
simple gradient descent procedure on a set of real values parametrizing a
probability distribution over the binary synapses. Both analytical and
numerical results are presented. An algorithmic extension aimed at training
discrete deep neural networks is also investigated.Comment: 7 pages + 14 pages of supplementary materia
A three-threshold learning rule approaches the maximal capacity of recurrent neural networks
Understanding the theoretical foundations of how memories are encoded and
retrieved in neural populations is a central challenge in neuroscience. A
popular theoretical scenario for modeling memory function is the attractor
neural network scenario, whose prototype is the Hopfield model. The model has a
poor storage capacity, compared with the capacity achieved with perceptron
learning algorithms. Here, by transforming the perceptron learning rule, we
present an online learning rule for a recurrent neural network that achieves
near-maximal storage capacity without an explicit supervisory error signal,
relying only upon locally accessible information. The fully-connected network
consists of excitatory binary neurons with plastic recurrent connections and
non-plastic inhibitory feedback stabilizing the network dynamics; the memory
patterns are presented online as strong afferent currents, producing a bimodal
distribution for the neuron synaptic inputs. Synapses corresponding to active
inputs are modified as a function of the value of the local fields with respect
to three thresholds. Above the highest threshold, and below the lowest
threshold, no plasticity occurs. In between these two thresholds,
potentiation/depression occurs when the local field is above/below an
intermediate threshold. We simulated and analyzed a network of binary neurons
implementing this rule and measured its storage capacity for different sizes of
the basins of attraction. The storage capacity obtained through numerical
simulations is shown to be close to the value predicted by analytical
calculations. We also measured the dependence of capacity on the strength of
external inputs. Finally, we quantified the statistics of the resulting
synaptic connectivity matrix, and found that both the fraction of zero weight
synapses and the degree of symmetry of the weight matrix increase with the
number of stored patterns.Comment: 24 pages, 10 figures, to be published in PLOS Computational Biolog
Combined local search strategy for learning in networks of binary synapses
Learning in networks of binary synapses is known to be an NP-complete
problem. A combined stochastic local search strategy in the synaptic weight
space is constructed to further improve the learning performance of a single
random walker. We apply two correlated random walkers guided by their Hamming
distance and associated energy costs (the number of unlearned patterns) to
learn a same large set of patterns. Each walker first learns a small part of
the whole pattern set (partially different for both walkers but with the same
amount of patterns) and then both walkers explore their respective weight
spaces cooperatively to find a solution to classify the whole pattern set
correctly. The desired solutions locate at the common parts of weight spaces
explored by these two walkers. The efficiency of this combined strategy is
supported by our extensive numerical simulations and the typical Hamming
distance as well as energy cost is estimated by an annealed computation.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, figures and references adde
Analytical and Numerical Study of Internal Representations in Multilayer Neural Networks with Binary Weights
We study the weight space structure of the parity machine with binary weights
by deriving the distribution of volumes associated to the internal
representations of the learning examples. The learning behaviour and the
symmetry breaking transition are analyzed and the results are found to be in
very good agreement with extended numerical simulations.Comment: revtex, 20 pages + 9 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
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