How can we build agents that keep learning from experience, quickly and efficiently, after their initial training? Here we take inspiration from the main mechanism of learning in biological brains: synaptic plasticity, carefully tuned by evolution to produce efficient lifelong learning. We show that plasticity, just li…
Oja's rule improves neural network training without engineered tricks.
problem Training deep neural networks with biological constraints.
method Incorporating Oja's plasticity rule into error-driven training.
result Stable, efficient learning in feedforward and recurrent architectures.
Unified approach for neural networks with multi-compartmental neurons and non-Hebbian plasticity.
problem Limited computational power of existing neural network models for multi-compartmental neurons and non-Hebbian plasticity.
method Unified extension of similarity matching approach to derive neural networks with multi-compartmental neurons and local, non-Hebbian learning rules.
result Unified approach facilitates understanding of multi-compartmental neuronal structures and non-Hebbian plasticity.
A model retains learned knowledge for longer by adding a plastic component to neural networks.
problem Catastrophic forgetting in neural networks when learning new tasks.
method Differentiable Hebbian Consolidation model with a DHP Softmax layer.
result Reduces forgetting in benchmarks like Permuted MNIST and Vision Datasets Mixture.
Selective reinitialization improves adaptability of neural bandits in dynamic environments.
problem Loss of plasticity in neural bandits, leading to rigid neural network parameters.
method Selective Reinitialization (SeRe) framework that dynamically resets underutilized units.
result SeRe enhances adaptability of CNB algorithms, reducing cumulative regret in dynamic environments.
Biological neurons learn tensor decompositions of higher-order correlations using nonlinear Hebbian plasticity.
problem Learning higher-order correlations in biological neurons.
method Introduce and study generalized nonlinear Hebbian learning rules.
result Neurons can learn tensor eigenvectors of higher-order input correlation tensors.
Physics-informed deep learning approximates strain gradient plasticity solutions.
problem Stiffness and computational challenges in solving strain gradient plasticity models.
method Physics-informed deep learning (PIDL) with modified loss functions and optimization schemes.
result PIDL methods address stiffness and computational challenges in strain gradient plasticity.
Learning and memory in the brain are implemented by complex, time-varying changes in neural circuitry. The computational rules according to which synaptic weights change over time are the subject of much research, and are not precisely understood. Until recently, limitations in experimental methods have made it challen…
Elite ONNs learn better with synaptic plasticity, improving performance over CNNs.
problem Limited heterogeneity in ONNs due to fixed operator sets.
method Synaptic plasticity-based search for optimal operator sets.
result Elite ONNs achieve superior learning performance compared to conventional methods.
Introduces generalized almost plastic structures on manifolds.
problem Integrability of plastic structures on manifolds.
method Constructs a family of generalized almost plastic structures on pseudo-Riemannian manifolds with specific tensor fields and compatibility conditions.
result Characterizes the integrability of these structures with respect to a given affine connection.
Dropout helps a stable network learn new tasks without forgetting old ones.
problem Catastrophic forgetting in neural networks when learning multiple tasks.
method Investigate the relationship between dropout and stability in neural networks, showing dropout acts as an implicit gating mechanism.
result Dropout stabilizes a network's learning, allowing it to learn new tasks without forgetting old ones.
Sleep-based regularization stabilizes STDP in recurrent neural networks.
problem Pathological weight dynamics in recurrent SNNs.
method Periodic offline phases with stochastic decay and spontaneous activity.
result Sleep-based renormalization prevents weight saturation and preserves learned structure.
Model for material elasticity and plasticity using networks.
problem Understanding the elasticity and plasticity of materials.
method Developed a mathematical model based on networks, defining tension tensor for periodic graphs.
result The model explains elasticity and plasticity through local moves on graphs.
In the domain of machine learning, Neural Memory Networks (NMNs) have recently achieved impressive results in a variety of application areas including visual question answering, trajectory prediction, object tracking, and language modelling. However, we observe that the attention based knowledge retrieval mechanisms us…
We identify a phenomenon, which we refer to as multi-model forgetting, that occurs when sequentially training multiple deep networks with partially-shared parameters; the performance of previously-trained models degrades as one optimizes a subsequent one, due to the overwriting of shared parameters. To overcome this, w…
Proposes a new neural network approach to credit assignment.
problem Credit assignment problem in deep neural networks.
method Contrastive similarity matching objective function.
result Deep networks learn to match similarity between layers.
Natural gradient learning improves synaptic plasticity in spiking neurons.
problem Parametrization dependence leads to inconsistencies in classical synaptic plasticity theories.
method Proposes natural gradient descent in Riemannian geometry for spiking neurons.
result Derives a synaptic learning rule that explains biological phenomena.
Catastrophic forgetting/interference is a critical problem for lifelong learning machines, which impedes the agents from maintaining their previously learned knowledge while learning new tasks. Neural networks, in particular, suffer plenty from the catastrophic forgetting phenomenon. Recently there has been several eff…
Improved neural ODEs learn adaptable flows.
problem Neural ODEs struggle with expressive power and adaptability.
method Introduce N-CODE modules with dynamic parameters controlled by a trainable map.
result N-CODE modules enhance expressivity of neural ODEs.
AANets balance stability and plasticity in CIL.
problem Stability-plasticity dilemma in class-incremental learning.
method Adaptive Aggregation Networks (AANets) with stable and plastic residual blocks.
result AANets improve performance on CIL benchmarks.
Flashback Learning balances model stability and plasticity in continual learning.
problem Balancing model stability and plasticity in continual learning.
method Flashback Learning (FL) uses a bidirectional regularization approach to balance stability and plasticity.
result FL improves model accuracy by up to 4.91% in Class-Incremental and 3.51% in Task-Incremental settings.
Neural plasticity is an important functionality of human brain, in which number of neurons and synapses can shrink or expand in response to stimuli throughout the span of life. We model this dynamic learning process as an L0-norm regularized binary optimization problem, in which each unit of a neural network (e.g., …
A new learning framework mimics biological STDP for neural networks.
problem To create a neural network that learns like biological systems.
method Developed MSTDP framework using Spike-timing dependent plasticity rules.
result Framework can learn and generate patterns without additional supervision.
Vision transformers benefit from non-smooth components in adaptation.
problem Understanding the role of non-smoothness in vision transformer adaptation.
method Theoretical analysis and extensive experiments on large-scale vision transformers.
result High plasticity of attention modules and feedforward layers leads to better finetuning performance.
A high-parallelism SNN improves feature learning efficiency and robustness.
problem Slow learning speed and limited learning capability in existing SNNs.
method Inspired by Inception modules, high-parallelism architecture, Vote-for-All decoding, adaptive repolarization mechanism.
result Superior performance and competitive accuracy compared to state-of-the-art unsupervised SNNs.
Metric anomalies arising from a distribution of point defects (intrinsic interstitials, vacancies, point stacking faults), thermal deformation, biological growth, etc. are well known sources of material inhomogeneity and internal stress. By emphasizing the geometric nature of such anomalies we seek their representation…
A new neural model evolves to learn at the synaptic level.
problem Lack of biologically realistic neural models in deep learning.
method Evolve individual neuron and synaptic models using ENUs.
result Evolved neural network learns complex tasks like a T-maze.
Synaptic strength can be seen as probability to propagate impulse, and according to synaptic plasticity, function could exist from propagation activity to synaptic strength. If the function satisfies constraints such as continuity and monotonicity, neural network under external stimulus will always go to fixed point, a…
Unified framework for strain-gradient plasticity from dislocations.
problem Deriving strain-gradient plasticity from edge-dislocations.
method Γ-limit derivation in a continuum framework with smooth frame fields and dislocation circulation.
result Unified strain-gradient model with new geometric rigidity estimates.
Study examines how training regime affects neural networks' forgetting.
problem Catastrophic forgetting in neural networks when learning multiple tasks sequentially.
method Analyzes the impact of different training regimes (learning rate, batch size, regularization) on forgetting.
result Training regimes that widen tasks' local minima help prevent catastrophic forgetting.
We propose a particularly structured Boltzmann machine, which we refer to as a dynamic Boltzmann machine (DyBM), as a stochastic model of a multi-dimensional time-series. The DyBM can have infinitely many layers of units but allows exact and efficient inference and learning when its parameters have a proposed structure…
This paper presents a method to improve continual learning stability and plasticity.
problem Balancing learning stability and plasticity in deep learning.
method Batch-level Experience Replay with Review approach.
result Achieved 1st place in all three scenarios of the CVPR 2020 CLVision challenge.
This paper suggests a learning-theoretic perspective on how synaptic plasticity benefits global brain functioning. We introduce a model, the selectron, that (i) arises as the fast time constant limit of leaky integrate-and-fire neurons equipped with spiking timing dependent plasticity (STDP) and (ii) is amenable to the…
Study evaluates CL methods in RNNs, highlighting differences from feedforward networks.
problem Preventing catastrophic forgetting in RNNs processing sequential data.
method Comprehensive evaluation of CL methods, including elastic weight consolidation and hypernetworks.
result Weight-importance methods perform similarly regardless of sequence length but require more stability for high working memory demands.
A dynamic Boltzmann machine (DyBM) has been proposed as a model of a spiking neural network, and its learning rule of maximizing the log-likelihood of given time-series has been shown to exhibit key properties of spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP), which had been postulated and experimentally confirmed in the fie…
Identifies learning rules from neural network observables.
problem Determine the underlying plasticity rules governing learning in biological systems.
method Simulated idealized neuroscience experiments with artificial neural networks to generate a dataset of learning trajectories. Used linear and non-linear classifiers to identify learning rules from aggregate statistics of weights, activations, and activity changes.
result Different classes of learning rules can be separated solely on the basis of aggregate statistics of the weights, activations, or instantaneous layer-wise activity changes.
Neuro-inspired recurrent neural network algorithms, such as echo state networks, are computationally lightweight and thereby map well onto untethered devices. The baseline echo state network algorithms are shown to be efficient in solving small-scale spatio-temporal problems. However, they underperform for complex task…
Spiking neural networks (SNNs) could play a key role in unsupervised machine learning applications, by virtue of strengths related to learning from the fine temporal structure of event-based signals. However, some spike-timing-related strengths of SNNs are hindered by the sensitivity of spike-timing-dependent plasticit…
New insights into continual learning with task similarity.
problem Challenges in learning similar tasks without interference.
method Linear teacher-student model with latent structure.
result High input feature similarity with low readout similarity is catastrophic.
We introduce SIM-CE, an advanced, user-friendly modeling and simulation environment in Simulink for performing multi-scale behavioral analysis of the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). SIM-CE contains an implementation of the mathematical models of C. elegans's neurons and synapses, in Simulink, whi…
Analyze and predict complex 3D shape deformations using LSTM autoencoders and oriented bounding boxes.
problem Detecting and predicting patterns in sequences of deforming 3D shapes.
method Use LSTM autoencoders to create low-dimensional representations of 3D shapes, incorporating oriented bounding boxes for structural components.
result The method detects patterns in plastic deformation and predicts future states of 3D shapes with improved accuracy.
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.
Biological neural network mimics CCA for multi-channel data.
problem Implementing CCA in a biologically plausible neural network.
method Derive an online CCA algorithm with local synaptic updates for multi-compartmental neurons.
result The derived neural network architecture and synaptic updates resemble cortical pyramidal neuron behavior.
A brain-inspired spiking Transformer reduces energy consumption and enhances interpretability.
problem Energy inefficiency and lack of interpretability in Transformer models.
method Spiking STDP Transformer using spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) for self-attention.
result Achieves 94.35% and 78.08% accuracy on CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets respectively, with 88.47% energy reduction.
Neural machine learning methods, such as deep neural networks (DNN), have achieved remarkable success in a number of complex data processing tasks. These methods have arguably had their strongest impact on tasks such as image and audio processing - data processing domains in which humans have long held clear advantages…
This work tackles catastrophic forgetting in neural networks by mimicking brain's metaplasticity.
problem Catastrophic forgetting in neural networks, where new tasks erase previously learned ones.
method Interpreting binarized neural networks as metaplastic systems, adjusting their training technique.
result Training technique reduces catastrophic forgetting without needing previously presented data.
AI learns to learn sequentially without forgetting.
problem Preventing catastrophic forgetting in machine learning models.
method Meta-learning a neuromodulatory activation-gating function to control selective activation in deep neural networks.
result State-of-the-art continual learning performance with 600 classes (9,000 updates).
Olshausen and Field (OF) proposed that neural computations in the primary visual cortex (V1) can be partially modeled by sparse dictionary learning. By minimizing the regularized representation error they derived an online algorithm, which learns Gabor-filter receptive fields from a natural image ensemble in agreement …