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arXiv research

A locally-built, LLM-digested index of recent arXiv papers in quant finance, geometry/topology, and statistical ML — keyword search served straight from SQLite on this machine.

168,695 papers · 148 categories

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48 results for Learnable activation functions

Study learns linear utility functions from comparisons, showing learnability gaps between passive and active learning.

problem Learn linear utility functions from pairwise comparison queries.
method Analyzes passive and active learning settings, considering noise-free and noisy query responses.
result Efficient learnability of linear utilities in passive learning, but not for utility parameters without strong assumptions.

KANHedge improves hedging of high-dimensional options using learnable B-spline activation functions.

problem Challenges in high-dimensional option pricing and hedging due to the curse of dimensionality.
method Introduces KANHedge, a novel BSDE-based hedger leveraging Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks with learnable B-spline activation functions.
result KANHedge provides improved hedging performance, achieving significant reductions in hedging cost metrics.

Study learns a neuron with non-monotonic activation functions.

problem Learning a single neuron with non-monotonic activation functions.
method Gradient descent (GD) with conditions on activation function and input distribution.
result Learnability of non-monotonic activation functions is established without monotonicity assumption.

Smooth activations enable optimal error rates in neural networks for Sobolev function classes.

problem Achieving optimal approximation and estimation error rates for neural networks in Sobolev function classes.
method Study of neural networks with smooth activations, proving optimal rates via approximation and statistical properties.
result Constant-depth networks with smooth activations achieve optimal rates of approximation and estimation, demonstrating smoothness adaptivity.

A new KAN variant uses sinusoidal activations to approximate functions.

problem Approximating multivariable functions using neural networks.
method Replacing inner and outer functions in Kolmogorov-Arnold representation with weighted sinusoidal functions.
result The new KAN variant outperforms fixed-frequency Fourier transform and achieves comparable performance to MLPs.

Sparse activations in neural networks are hard to exploit but lead to advantages in learning.

problem Sparse activations in neural networks are hard to exploit but lead to advantages in learning.
method Formal study of PAC learnability of MLP layers with activation sparsity.
result Classes of functions with activation sparsity lead to provable computational and statistical advantages over their non-sparse counterparts.

AReLU uses attention-based rectification to improve neural network performance.

problem Improving neural network performance through better activation functions.
method Integrates attention mechanism with rectified linear unit (ReLU) to learn and scale feature maps.
result AReLU significantly boosts performance of most network architectures with minimal changes.

KANs replace fixed MLP weights with learnable edge functions, improving accuracy and interpretability.

problem Lack of interpretability and scalability in MLPs.
method KANs use learnable activation functions on edges instead of fixed weights, replacing weights with spline functions.
result KANs outperform MLPs in accuracy and interpretability with smaller models.

SPLASH units improve deep neural network accuracy and adversarial robustness.

problem Improving deep neural network accuracy and adversarial robustness.
method SPLASH units are learnable activation functions with specific properties that enhance both accuracy and robustness.
result SPLASH units significantly increase adversarial robustness of deep neural networks.

LSQ+ improves quantization of neural nets with Swish activations, achieving state-of-the-art results.

problem Quantization of neural nets with Swish activations, especially negative activations, leads to significant performance loss.
method Introduces learnable scale and offset parameters for asymmetric quantization, and uses MSE-based initialization for quantization parameters.
result Significantly outperforms LSQ for low-bit quantization of neural nets with Swish activations, achieving up to 5.6% gain with W2A2 quantization of EfficientNet-B0.

In this paper we study the learnability of deep random networks from both theoretical and practical points of view. On the theoretical front, we show that the learnability of random deep networks with sign activation drops exponentially with its depth. On the practical front, we find that the learnability drops sharply…

2019-04-08abs ↗pdf ↗

We study the problem of learning influence functions under incomplete observations of node activations. Incomplete observations are a major concern as most (online and real-world) social networks are not fully observable. We establish both proper and improper PAC learnability of influence functions under randomly missi…

2016-11-07abs ↗pdf ↗

Survey of trainable activation functions in neural networks.

problem Improving neural network performance through trainable activation functions.
method Taxonomy and comparison of recent and past models of trainable activation functions.
result Many trainable activation functions are equivalent to adding neuron layers with fixed activation functions and simple constraints.

This study compares MLPs and KANs in low-data regimes, finding MLPs with personalized activation functions outperform KANs.

problem Comparing MLPs and KANs in low-data regimes.
method Introduced an effective technique for designing MLPs with unique, parameterized activation functions for each neuron.
result MLPs with personalized activation functions achieve significantly higher predictive accuracy with only a modest increase in parameters, especially in low-data regimes.

This research sets limits on how complex multi-class learning problems can be.

problem Understanding the complexity of multi-class classification problems.
method Established upper bounds on Natarajan dimensions for specific function classes.
result Upper bounds on Natarajan dimensions for multi-class decision trees, random forests, and neural networks.

Sharp asymptotics reveal how network width controls learnability in quadratic neural networks.

problem Understanding learnability in overparameterized quadratic neural networks.
method Mapping ERM to convex matrix sensing with nuclear norm penalization.
result Characterization of global minima and precise generalization thresholds.

S2KAN integrates symbolic primitives into neural network activations for improved interpretability.

problem Training activations in KANs often lack symbolic fidelity, leading to unintelligible models.
method Softly Symbolified Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks (S2KAN) integrates symbolic primitives into training with learnable gates and a Minimum Description Length objective.
result S2KAN discovers interpretable forms when symbolic terms suffice, gracefully degrading to dense splines when necessary.

Study extends learnability equivalence to multi-class and regression, overcoming binary classification limits.

problem Equivalence of online and private learnability in multi-class and regression settings.
method Introduced a novel Littlestone dimension variant and threshold functions for multi-class classification.
result Online learnability implies private learnability in multi-class classification but not in regression.

Curvature penalties improve interpretability of KANs without sacrificing accuracy.

problem Pathologically high-curvature oscillations in KANs activations make them hard to interpret.
method Derived a curvature penalty and proved an upper bound on model curvature.
result KANs with curvature penalties achieve substantially smoother activations while maintaining accuracy.

We propose stochastic, non-parametric activation functions that are fully learnable and individual to each neuron. Complexity and the risk of overfitting are controlled by placing a Gaussian process prior over these functions. The result is the Gaussian process neuron, a probabilistic unit that can be used as the basic…

2017-11-29abs ↗pdf ↗

Recently, a number of learning-based optimization methods that combine data-driven architectures with the classical optimization algorithms have been proposed and explored, showing superior empirical performance in solving various ill-posed inverse problems, but there is still a scarcity of rigorous analysis about the …

2019-05-15abs ↗pdf ↗

Study robust regression learning under adversarial attacks.

problem Understanding which function classes are learnable in the presence of adversarial attacks.
method Introduced a novel agnostic sample compression scheme and used fat-shattering dimension to construct adversarially robust sample compression schemes.
result Finite fat-shattering dimension classes are learnable in both realizable and agnostic settings.

Temporal Functional Circuits explain KAN forecasts with interpretable edge functions.

problem Lack of mechanistic explanations in KAN forecasting.
method Transform KAN edge functions into faithful, temporally grounded explanations using a gated residual KAN.
result Gated KAN achieves lower MSE than linear-only models on regime-switching signals.

Bayesian neural networks learn efficiently at infinite width, matching polynomial-width performance.

problem Understanding the inductive bias of infinite-width neural networks.
method Analyzing the reduced entropy and using subsampling techniques.
result The Bayesian mean-field learner generalizes exactly on polynomially-bounded targets.

Characterizes learnability of forgiving 0-1 loss functions in multiclass settings.

problem Understanding when multiclass learning with forgiving 0-1 loss functions is possible.
method Introduces a new combinatorial dimension based on Natarajan Dimension to determine learnability.
result A hypothesis class is learnable if and only if the Generalized Natarajan Dimension is finite.

No single parameter characterizes the learnability of probability distributions.

problem Finding a parameter to characterize the learnability of probability distributions.
method Analyzing various notions of learnability and showing impossibility results.
result No such parameter exists for characterizing learnability of probability distributions.

New insights into how overfitting affects neural networks' performance.

problem Understanding the generalization of overfitted two-layer neural networks.
method Analyzing the NTK model with ReLU activation, focusing on min 2\ell_2-norm solutions.
result Generalization error of overfitted NTK models approaches a small limiting value, even with infinite neurons and samples.

Deep networks can learn functions approximated by shallow networks, but not all functions.

problem The learnability of functions by deep neural networks and the approximation capacity of simpler classes.
method Study the connection between learnability and approximation capacity of functions by deep neural networks and simpler classes.
result A necessary condition for a function to be learnable by deep neural networks is to be approximable by shallow networks.

New findings on depth vs. width in neural networks, showing depth can improve learnability.

problem Understanding the role of depth in neural networks, especially when width is unbounded.
method Analyzing sample complexity for learnability in norm-controlled depth-2 and depth-3 ReLU networks.
result Depth can improve learnability of functions that are otherwise unlearnable with depth-2 networks.

Wide neural networks can learn complex functions like gravitational force law.

problem Learning complex functions like gravitational force law with neural networks.
method Extending theoretical bounds to analytic functions on the sphere using SGD and ReLU networks.
result Wide ReLU networks can learn analytic functions efficiently with proportional number of samples.

Study on the limits of bandit learning, showing hardness and limitations.

problem Understanding the learnability of bandit learning under arbitrary reward functions.
method Investigation into which classes of reward functions are learnable and how they can be learned.
result No combinatorial dimension can characterize bandit learnability, and computational hardness is inherent.

Study the expressivity and training complexity of polynomial neural networks.

problem Understanding the expressivity and training complexity of polynomial neural networks.
method Use algebraic geometry to describe neuromanifolds and neurovarieties, analyzing their dimension and learning degree.
result Characterized the dimension and learning degree of neuromanifolds, providing geometric and complexity measures.

We characterize learnability for stochastic noisy bandits, identifying optimal query complexities.

problem Learnability of stochastic noisy bandit models.
method Complete characterization through model class analysis and proof of optimal query complexities.
result Characterization of learnability for stochastic noisy bandit models.

We clarify measurability assumptions in the agnostic PAC learning theorem.

problem Measurability assumptions in the Fundamental Theorem of Statistical Learning.
method Measure-theoretic scrutiny of existing proofs to extract minimal assumptions.
result Sound statement and detailed proof of the Fundamental Theorem in the agnostic setting.

Unified theory for representation learning using learnable functions.

problem Insufficient theoretical understanding of unsupervised and self-supervised learning.
method Discriminative theoretical framework for analyzing sample complexity.
result Learnable regularization functions can reduce the amount of labeled data needed.

New findings show modern neural networks have finite sample complexity in o-minimal structures.

problem Understanding the learnability of modern neural networks in a broad context.
method Analyzing feedforward neural networks definable in o-minimal structures.
result Modern neural networks, including MLPs, CNNs, GNNs, and transformers, have finite sample complexity in the agnostic PAC setting.

New algorithm learns regression models privately under growth condition.

problem Private learning of nonparametric regression models.
method Novel filtering procedure to output stable hypotheses for nonparametric function classes.
result Established first nonparametric private learnability guarantee for diverging fat shattering dimensions.

We study the role of depth in training randomly initialized overparameterized neural networks. We give a general result showing that depth improves trainability of neural networks by improving the conditioning of certain kernel matrices of the input data. This result holds for arbitrary non-linear activation functions …

2020-02-04abs ↗pdf ↗

Failures are challenging for learning to control physical systems since they risk damage, time-consuming resets, and often provide little gradient information. Adding safety constraints to exploration typically requires a lot of prior knowledge and domain expertise. We present a safety measure which implicitly captures…

2019-10-07abs ↗pdf ↗