In real-world scenarios, it is appealing to learn a model carrying out stochastic operations internally, known as stochastic computation graphs (SCGs), rather than learning a deterministic mapping. However, standard backpropagation is not applicable to SCGs. We attempt to address this issue from the angle of cost propa…
We propose a second-order (Hessian or Hessian-free) based optimization method for variational inference inspired by Gaussian backpropagation, and argue that quasi-Newton optimization can be developed as well. This is accomplished by generalizing the gradient computation in stochastic backpropagation via a reparametriza…
Backpropagation algorithm is indispensable for the training of feedforward neural networks. It requires propagating error gradients sequentially from the output layer all the way back to the input layer. The backward locking in backpropagation algorithm constrains us from updating network layers in parallel and fully l…
New algorithm shows neural networks can learn without full backpropagation.
problem Stochastic gradient descent with backpropagation is non-biologically plausible.
method Random and fixed backpropagation weights in a feedback alignment algorithm.
result Error converges to zero exponentially fast in overparameterized networks.
Arguably the biggest challenge in applying neural networks is tuning the hyperparameters, in particular the learning rate. The sensitivity to the learning rate is due to the reliance on backpropagation to train the network. In this paper we present the first application of Implicit Stochastic Gradient Descent (ISGD) to…
TFM trains Neural SDEs without backpropagation, improving clinical time series modeling.
problem Modeling irregularly sampled time series in medicine.
method Trajectory Flow Matching (TFM) using flow matching for generative modeling.
result TFM improves performance on clinical time series datasets.
Demon aligns diffusion models without retraining or backpropagation.
problem Aligning diffusion models with user preferences.
method Stochastic optimization to control noise distribution.
result Significantly improves aesthetics scores for text-to-image generation.
We introduce backdrop, a flexible and simple-to-implement method, intuitively described as dropout acting only along the backpropagation pipeline. Backdrop is implemented via one or more masking layers which are inserted at specific points along the network. Each backdrop masking layer acts as the identity in the forwa…
We design a stochastic algorithm to train any smooth neural network to ε-approximate local minima, using O(ε−3.25) backpropagations. The best result was essentially O(ε−4) by SGD. More broadly, it finds ε-approximate local minima of any smooth nonconvex function in …
Improved backpropagation with consequentialism weight updates for neural networks.
problem Improving backpropagation for neural networks, especially with mini-batch training.
method Introducing consequentialism weight updates derived from NLMS for multi-layer neural networks.
result The proposed method outperforms traditional BP and mini-batch training.
A new method for decision-focused learning using diffusion models.
problem Inability of deterministic point predictions to capture stochasticity in real-world environments.
method Proposes a diffusion-based DFL approach that trains a diffusion model to represent uncertain parameters and optimizes decisions through stochastic optimization.
result Empirically shows consistent outperformance over strong baselines in decision quality.
Paper introduces FoMoH for optimization without backpropagation.
problem Optimizing machine learning models without backpropagation.
method Second-order hyperplane search, forward-mode stochastic gradient method, hyper-dual numbers, FoMoH.
result Developed a novel optimization algorithm that avoids backpropagation.
Teaches matrix calculus for machine learning and optimization.
problem Computing derivatives of functions involving matrices.
method Extends differential calculus to vector spaces, focusing on practical applications in machine learning.
result Introduction of adjoint and reverse-mode differentiation for efficient computation.
Deep Gaussian processes (DGPs) are multi-layer hierarchical generalisations of Gaussian processes (GPs) and are formally equivalent to neural networks with multiple, infinitely wide hidden layers. DGPs are probabilistic and non-parametric and as such are arguably more flexible, have a greater capacity to generalise, an…
Belief propagation recovers backpropagation results.
problem Connection between backpropagation and belief propagation poorly understood.
method Converted backpropagation input to belief propagation input and showed results.
result Backpropagation is a special case of belief propagation.
New algorithm improves source separation with multi-trial supervision.
problem Non-convex optimization and interpretability of independent components.
method Proximal gradient-type algorithm in invertible matrices with backpropagation for joint learning.
result Increased success rate of non-convex optimization and improved interpretability.
New loss function connects learning rate and momentum.
problem Finding optimal learning rate and momentum empirically.
method Proposes a new information-theoretical loss function.
result Loss, learning rate, and momentum are closely connected.
We marry ideas from deep neural networks and approximate Bayesian inference to derive a generalised class of deep, directed generative models, endowed with a new algorithm for scalable inference and learning. Our algorithm introduces a recognition model to represent approximate posterior distributions, and that acts as…
Paper proposes DAG-DB for learning discrete DAGs via backpropagation.
problem Learning Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) from data.
method DAG-DB uses Discrete Backpropagation with I-MLE and Straight-Through Estimation.
result DAG-DB learns DAGs effectively using probabilistic sampling and backpropagation.
GAIT-prop derives a biologically plausible learning rule from backpropagation.
problem Biological implausibility in traditional backpropagation for neural networks.
method GAIT-prop uses a top-down model to convert output error into plausible targets for weight updates.
result GAIT-prop and backpropagation give identical weight updates under certain conditions.
NOVAS uses adaptive stochastic search for non-convex optimization in deep networks.
problem Non-convex optimization challenges in deep neural networks.
method Adaptive stochastic search for non-convex optimization.
result NOVAS outperforms existing alternatives in a structured prediction task.
This work shows synthetic gradients can outperform backpropagation in sample efficiency.
problem The efficiency of backpropagation in training neural networks.
method Unified vectorized feedback framework for loss-based and reward-based learning, introducing synthetic gradients.
result Synthetic gradients can achieve lower gradient-estimation mean squared error than backpropagation under certain conditions.
A new method computes gradients without backpropagation.
problem Optimization of machine learning models.
method Forward mode automatic differentiation to compute gradients.
result Forward gradient is an unbiased estimate of the gradient, eliminating the need for backpropagation.
The paper proposes an efficient method to scale Bayesian inference for mixed multinomial logit models to very large datasets.
problem Efficiency in Bayesian inference for mixed multinomial logit models on large datasets.
method Amortized Variational Inference with stochastic backpropagation, automatic differentiation, and GPU acceleration.
result The proposed method achieves significant computational speedups over traditional methods for large datasets.
Artificial neural network training with stochastic gradient descent can be destabilized by "bad batches" with high losses. This is often problematic for training with small batch sizes, high order loss functions or unstably high learning rates. To stabilize learning, we have developed adaptive learning rate clipping (A…
Neural network learning is usually time-consuming since backpropagation needs to compute full gradients and backpropagate them across multiple layers. Despite its success of existing works in accelerating propagation through sparseness, the relevant theoretical characteristics remain under-researched and empirical stud…
Pipelined Backpropagation trains large models without batches efficiently.
problem Training large models efficiently on hardware with limited batch sizes.
method Fine-grained Pipelined Backpropagation with Spike Compensation and Linear Weight Prediction.
result Fine-grained Pipelined Backpropagation with a batch size of one matches the accuracy of SGD for multiple networks.
We introduce the "NoBackTrack" algorithm to train the parameters of dynamical systems such as recurrent neural networks. This algorithm works in an online, memoryless setting, thus requiring no backpropagation through time, and is scalable, avoiding the large computational and memory cost of maintaining the full gradie…
ZORB speeds up neural network training without sacrificing accuracy.
problem Slow and strenuous training of neural networks using gradient descent.
method Uses pseudoinverse of targets instead of gradients for backpropagation.
result ZORB converges 300 times faster than Adam on MNIST without hyperparameter tuning.
We present practical Levenberg-Marquardt variants of Gauss-Newton and natural gradient methods for solving non-convex optimization problems that arise in training deep neural networks involving enormous numbers of variables and huge data sets. Our methods use subsampled Gauss-Newton or Fisher information matrices and e…
A new method reduces deep learning training costs by 92%.
problem High computational cost of backpropagation in deep neural networks.
method Dithered backprop with non-subtractive dither quantization.
result 92% sparsity with minimal accuracy loss.
Binary Stochastic Filtering (BSF), the algorithm for feature selection and neuron pruning is proposed in this work. The method defines filtering layer which penalizes amount of the information involved in the training process. This information could be the input data or output of the previous layer, which directly lead…
Mean field theory explains gradient backpropagation in deep dropout networks.
problem Understanding gradient backpropagation in deep dropout networks.
method Applied mean field theory to dropout networks, considering realistic training conditions.
result Gradient backpropagation length is limited by depth scales, not just independence assumption.
Neural jump model improves option pricing accuracy.
problem Jump risk in option pricing.
method Neural jump stochastic differential equation model with Gumbel-Softmax gradient learning.
result Neural jump components significantly improve option pricing accuracy.
Backpropagation-free RL method trains layers using local signals.
problem Vanishing or exploding gradients in backpropagation-based RL.
method Local pairwise distance matching for layer-wise training without backpropagation.
result Backpropagation-free method achieves competitive performance and stability.
SDE Matching eliminates simulation for training Latent SDEs, achieving similar performance.
problem Training Latent SDEs with adjoint sensitivity methods is computationally expensive and limited.
method SDE Matching, inspired by Score- and Flow Matching, eliminates simulation for training Latent SDEs.
result SDE Matching achieves performance comparable to adjoint sensitivity methods while reducing computational complexity.
To backpropagate the gradients through stochastic binary layers, we propose the augment-REINFORCE-merge (ARM) estimator that is unbiased, exhibits low variance, and has low computational complexity. Exploiting variable augmentation, REINFORCE, and reparameterization, the ARM estimator achieves adaptive variance reducti…
VSML unifies meta learning concepts and enables simple backpropagation.
problem Improving and unifying meta learning concepts for neural networks.
method Unified approach using variable shared meta learning and simple weight-sharing.
result Simple backpropagation can be implemented and meta learned without gradient calculation.
Sideways trains video models by overwriting activations as new frames arrive, potentially improving generalization.
problem Training deep video models synchronously slows down and requires storing activations, limiting parallelism.
method Sideways trains video models by overwriting activations as new frames arrive, breaking the precise correspondence between gradients and activations.
result Sideways training can converge and potentially generalize better than standard synchronized backpropagation.
Study shows Direct Feedback Alignment fails to offer more efficient scaling than backpropagation.
problem Understanding and optimizing training methods for neural networks.
method Use of scaling laws to compare Direct Feedback Alignment (DFA) and backpropagation.
result DFA fails to offer more efficient scaling than backpropagation.
Backpropagation is the workhorse of deep learning, however, several other biologically-motivated learning rules have been introduced, such as random feedback alignment and difference target propagation. None of these methods have produced a competitive performance against backpropagation. In this paper, we show that bi…
Proposes a new method to enhance neural learning by maximizing information gain.
problem Improving neural learning by selecting key variables to maximize information gain.
method Adaptive Ensemble Kalman Filter to quantify uncertainty and maximize information gain.
result The proposed method enables the neural network to learn more effectively from stochastic systems.
Article presents QR and LQ decomposition algorithms for various matrix sizes and ranks.
problem Solving least squares problems in machine learning and computer vision.
method Developed novel matrix backpropagation algorithms for QR and LQ decompositions of different matrix sizes and ranks.
result Numerical stability and computational efficiency of the proposed methods.
Survey examines deep neural networks' ability to approximate functions.
problem Approximation of target functions by deep neural networks.
method Examination of feed-forward and residual architectures, focusing on optimization problems in regression and classification.
result Deep neural networks can approximate functions effectively, especially with ReLU activation functions.
A faster, more stable method for optimizing topological functions.
problem Optimizing topological functions is computationally expensive and unstable.
method Introduces a novel backpropagation scheme for faster and more robust optimization.
result Produces more robust optima and stable visualizations.
New learning rules for wide neural networks without backpropagation.
problem Training wide neural networks efficiently and without backpropagation.
method Input-weight alignment driven by gradient descent in the NTK regime.
result Biologically-motivated learning rules equivalent to backpropagation in wide networks.
We introduce Deep Variational Bayes Filters (DVBF), a new method for unsupervised learning and identification of latent Markovian state space models. Leveraging recent advances in Stochastic Gradient Variational Bayes, DVBF can overcome intractable inference distributions via variational inference. Thus, it can handle …
Study proposes memory-efficient backpropagation for linear layers in neural networks.
problem Significant memory usage in backpropagation through linear layers in neural networks.
method Randomized matrix multiplications to reduce memory usage with a moderate decrease in test accuracy.
result Demonstrated benefits of the proposed method on fine-tuning pre-trained models.