The challenge of assigning importance to individual neurons in a network is of interest when interpreting deep learning models. In recent work, Dhamdhere et al. proposed Total Conductance, a "natural refinement of Integrated Gradients" for attributing importance to internal neurons. Unfortunately, the authors found tha…
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48 results for “neuron importance”
AKOrN uses synchronized neurons to improve AI tasks.
problem Improving AI performance through better neural representations.
method AKOrN introduces synchronized neurons to replace threshold units.
result AKOrN improves performance across various AI tasks.
TENP prunes experts and neurons in Mixture-of-Experts models for efficient deployment.
problem Efficient deployment of large language models constrained by static parameter footprint.
method Structured Trapezoidal ExpertNeuron Pruning (TENP) identifies and retains important experts and neurons.
result DeepSeek model achieves 10% better performance on code generation tasks with 40% expert sparsity.
Understanding Convolutional Networks with APPLE : Automatic Patch Pattern Labeling for Explanationcs.LG
With the success of deep learning, recent efforts have been focused on analyzing how learned networks make their classifications. We are interested in analyzing the network output based on the network structure and information flow through the network layers. We contribute an algorithm for 1) analyzing a deep network t…
Mixed integer programming identifies critical neurons in neural networks.
problem Identifying neurons critical for network performance and generalization.
method Developed a mixed integer program (MIP) to assign importance scores to neurons, guiding pruning decisions.
result The method identifies multiple 'lucky' sub-networks resulting in optimized architectures that generalize across datasets.
Neuron Shapley identifies key neurons in deep networks, improving model accuracy and fairness.
problem Identifying responsible neurons in deep networks for better model performance and fairness.
method Neuron Shapley framework quantifies neuron contributions, accounting for interactions.
result Removing just 30 critical filters can destroy model accuracy, revealing network function.
Inspired by complexity and diversity of biological neurons, our group proposed quadratic neurons by replacing the inner product in current artificial neurons with a quadratic operation on input data, thereby enhancing the capability of an individual neuron. Along this direction, we are motivated to evaluate the power o…
Recent advancements in language representation models such as BERT have led to a rapid improvement in numerous natural language processing tasks. However, language models usually consist of a few hundred million trainable parameters with embedding space distributed across multiple layers, thus making them challenging t…
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in recent years have made a dramatic impact in science, technology and industry, yet the theoretical mechanism of CNN architecture design remains surprisingly vague. The CNN neurons, including its distinctive element, convolutional filters, are known to be learnable features, yet th…
Sometimes it is not enough for a DNN to produce an outcome. For example, in applications such as healthcare, users need to understand the rationale of the decisions. Therefore, it is imperative to develop algorithms to learn models with good interpretability (Doshi-Velez 2017). An important factor that leads to the lac…
With the recent success of deep neural networks in computer vision, it is important to understand the internal working of these networks. What does a given neuron represent? The concepts captured by a neuron may be hard to understand or express in simple terms. The approach we propose in this paper is to characterize t…
Single ReLU neuron's gradient dynamics reveal support vectors as key to generalization.
problem Understanding the generalization capability of ReLU networks.
method Examined gradient flow dynamics and support vectors in single ReLU neuron training.
result Support vectors play a crucial role in the generalization of ReLU networks.
HNHN learns from hypergraphs with hyperedge neurons for better classification.
problem Learning from hypergraphs with complex relationships.
method Hypergraph convolution network with hyperedge neurons and adaptive normalization.
result Improved classification accuracy and speed compared to state-of-the-art methods.
Novel 'strong neuron' improves deep learning efficiency and robustness.
problem Improving deep learning efficiency and robustness against adversarial attacks.
method Introducing a novel 'strong neuron' model and a constructive training algorithm.
result Achieved 10x-100x reduction in operations count and hardware requirements.
An activation boundary for a neuron refers to a separating hyperplane that determines whether the neuron is activated or deactivated. It has been long considered in neural networks that the activations of neurons, rather than their exact output values, play the most important role in forming classification friendly par…
New metric captures individual neuron tuning across neural networks.
problem Need a metric that respects individual neuron tuning across different neural networks.
method Derived a 'soft' permutation-based metric using optimal transport theory.
result Metric avoids counter-intuitive outcomes and captures geometric insights.
Recently, deep learning has achieved huge successes in many important applications. In our previous studies, we proposed quadratic/second-order neurons and deep quadratic neural networks. In a quadratic neuron, the inner product of a vector of data and the corresponding weights in a conventional neuron is replaced with…
OPT framework improves neural network generalization by learning an orthogonal transformation.
problem Improving neural network generalization.
method Orthogonal over-parameterized training (OPT) framework that minimizes hyperspherical energy.
result OPT framework provably minimizes hyperspherical energy and improves empirical generalization.
Study limits of circadian synchronization under different light signals.
problem Disruption of circadian rhythms due to misalignment with external light signals.
method Matrix-free approach for locating periodic steady states, numerical continuation, bifurcation diagrams, unsupervised learning.
result Limits of circadian synchronization to external light signals of different frequency and duty cycle.
Estimates neuronal connectivity from spike times using flexible Hawkes processes.
problem Learning latent network structure from multivariate point process data.
method Proposes a new nonstationary Hawkes process and uses sparse least squares estimation.
result Establishes non-asymptotic error bounds and selection consistency for estimated parameters.
A new algorithm trains deep neural networks by adding neurons greedily.
problem Training deep neural networks efficiently and effectively.
method Neuron Pursuit (NP) algorithm, which alternates between neuron addition and loss minimization.
result The algorithm can train deep neural networks efficiently and effectively.
Estimates individualized treatment effects using shared RBF-net neurons.
problem Identifying differential treatment effects based on covariates.
method Non-parametric radial basis function (RBF)-nets with shared hidden neurons in a Bayesian framework.
result Demonstrated through simulations and real data, the method identifies interesting treatment effects.
One conjecture in both deep learning and classical connectionist viewpoint is that the biological brain implements certain kinds of deep networks as its back-end. However, to our knowledge, a detailed correspondence has not yet been set up, which is important if we want to bridge between neuroscience and machine learni…
Captum library simplifies model interpretability for PyTorch.
problem Improving model interpretability for various PyTorch models.
method Unified, open-source library with generic attribution algorithms and metrics.
result Unified and scalable model interpretability for multimodal inputs.
CLEAS improves neural architecture search for continual learning.
problem Overcoming catastrophic forgetting and adapting to new tasks while controlling model complexity.
method Neural architecture search (NAS) with reinforcement learning to find optimal neural architecture.
result CLEAS achieves higher classification accuracy with simpler neural architectures.
DNN pruning reduces memory footprint and computational work of DNN-based solutions to improve performance and energy-efficiency. An effective pruning scheme should be able to systematically remove connections and/or neurons that are unnecessary or redundant, reducing the DNN size without any loss in accuracy. In this p…
In this work, we investigate the use of three information-theoretic quantities -- entropy, mutual information with the class variable, and a class selectivity measure based on Kullback-Leibler divergence -- to understand and study the behavior of already trained fully-connected feed-forward neural networks. We analyze …
New training algorithm enhances SNNs for temporal signal processing.
problem Lack of robust training algorithms for large-scale SNNs.
method Formulated SNN as IIR filters, proposed training algorithm for optimal synapse filter kernels and weights.
result Model and training algorithm outperform state-of-the-art approaches in accuracy.
For using neural networks in safety critical domains, it is important to know if a decision made by a neural network is supported by prior similarities in training. We propose runtime neuron activation pattern monitoring - after the standard training process, one creates a monitor by feeding the training data to the ne…
T-SVM improves learning in spiking neurons by maximizing dynamical margin.
problem Finding robust solutions in spiking neuronal networks with temporal correlations.
method Introduces Temporal Support Vector Machine (T-SVM) to maximize dynamical margin.
result T-SVM enables learning of tasks requiring nonlinear spatial integration.
Improved uncertainty estimation through diverse sampling in neural networks.
problem Enhancing uncertainty estimation for machine learning models.
method Data-driven correlations and determinantal point processes-based sampling for dropout layers.
result State-of-the-art results in uncertainty estimation for regression and classification tasks.
Selfless Sequential Learningstat.ML
Sequential learning, also called lifelong learning, studies the problem of learning tasks in a sequence with access restricted to only the data of the current task. In this paper we look at a scenario with fixed model capacity, and postulate that the learning process should not be selfish, i.e. it should account for fu…
Improves neural network verification by merging abstract domains and Lagrangian methods.
problem Prove provable bounds for neural network outputs given input ranges.
method Uses zonotopes within a Lagrangian decomposition to verify deep neural networks.
result Yields bounds that improve upon existing techniques in both time and tightness.
High-contrast "gaudy" images improve the training of deep neural network models of visual cortexcs.CV
Gaudy images help train deep neural networks with less data.
problem Training deep neural networks with limited real data from visual cortex neurons.
method Used high-contrast binarized natural images (gaudy images) to train DNNs.
result Reduced training data needed for accurate DNN predictions of visual cortex neuron responses.
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 -norm regularized binary optimization problem, in which each unit of a neural network (e.g., …
Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are currently being used as function approximators in many state-of-the-art Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms. Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) have been shown to drastically reduce the energy consumption of ANNs by encoding information in sparse temporal binary spike streams, hence…
Describes explaining neurons in deep representations using compositional logical concepts.
problem Interpreting neuron behavior in deep neural networks.
method Identifying compositional logical concepts that closely approximate neuron behavior.
result Compositional explanations provide insights into model performance and allow for adversarial example creation.
Optimization geometry affects deep learning performance.
problem The impact of optimization geometry on deep learning performance.
method Analysis of pseudogradient methods for learning generalized linear models.
result Non-asymptotic bounds on generalization error characterize model performance.
SeReNe prunes neurons with low sensitivity to reduce network size.
problem Large neural networks consume too many resources on resource-constrained devices.
method Exploits neural sensitivity as a regularizer to prune neurons with low sensitivity.
result Pruning neurons with low sensitivity achieves competitive compression ratios.
Under-parameterized networks can either copy or average teacher weights, leading to universal optimal solutions.
problem Approximating a teacher network with an under-parameterized student network.
method Analyzing shallow neural networks with erf activation function and unitary teacher weights, proving copy-average configurations are critical points and finding the optimal solution.
result The optimal solution for under-parameterized networks has a universal structure, whether copying or averaging teacher neurons.
This research investigates selectively pruning hyper and hypo neurons to improve neural network generalization.
problem Improving neural network generalization to unseen data.
method Investigates pruning hyper and hypo neurons selectively in fully connected layers of CNNs.
result Selective pruning of hyper and hypo neurons improves model performance on out-of-domain data.
Modeling hidden neurons in SNNs using mesoscopic approximations.
problem Underconstrained problem of modeling unobserved neurons in SNNs.
method Coarse-graining and mean-field approximations to derive neuLVM.
result neuLVM can efficiently model large SNNs and recover connectivity parameters.
Detection and skeletonization of single neurons and tracer injections using topological methodscs.CV
Topological methods improve neuron analysis and tracer injection summary.
problem Traditional methods fail to capture the tree-like structure of neurons.
method Discrete Morse (DM) Theory for neuron skeletonization and consensus tree summarization.
result Significant performance improvements over non-topological methods.
Network pruning is aimed at imposing sparsity in a neural network architecture by increasing the portion of zero-valued weights for reducing its size regarding energy-efficiency consideration and increasing evaluation speed. In most of the conducted research efforts, the sparsity is enforced for network pruning without…
We propose a new generic type of stochastic neurons, called -neurons, that considers activation functions based on Jackson's -derivatives with stochastic parameters . Our generalization of neural network architectures with -neurons is shown to be both scalable and very easy to implement. We demonstrate expe…
Spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) which observed in the brain has proven to be important in biological learning. On the other hand, artificial neural networks use a different way to learn, such as Back-Propagation or Contrastive Hebbian Learning. In this work, we propose a new framework called mstdp that learn a…
A Note on Topology Preservation in Classification, and the Construction of a Universal Neuron Gridcs.NE
It will be shown that according to theorems of K. Menger, every neuron grid if identified with a curve is able to preserve the adopted qualitative structure of a data space. Furthermore, if this identification is made, the neuron grid structure can always be mapped to a subset of a universal neuron grid which is constr…
As neural networks become widely deployed in different applications and on different hardware, it has become increasingly important to optimize inference time and model size along with model accuracy. Most current techniques optimize model size, model accuracy and inference time in different stages, resulting in subopt…