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.
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.
Stable unactivated neurons reduce expressiveness in ReLU networks.
problem Reducing expressiveness in ReLU neural networks due to stably unactivated neurons.
method Investigated the probability of neurons being stably unactivated in ReLU networks with symmetric weight and bias distributions.
result Proved the probability of a neuron being stably unactivated in the second hidden layer of a ReLU network.
SpaRCe optimizes reservoir computing by learning neuron thresholds to improve performance and prevent forgetting.
problem Improving performance and preventing forgetting in reservoir computing networks.
method Integrates neuron-specific learnable thresholds to optimize sparsity without altering dynamics, learning read-out weights and thresholds via gradient rule.
result Threshold learning improves performance and alleviates catastrophic forgetting.
Neural networks learn to mimic brain neurons with two-input activation functions, improving performance and robustness.
problem Training neural networks to mimic the complex interactions of brain neurons.
method Developed a network-in-network architecture with two-input activation functions, optimized hyperparameters, and compared to conventional ReLU networks.
result Two-input activation functions can learn soft XOR functions, improving network performance and robustness.
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.
Single-spike neurons can approximate as well as multi-spike neurons.
problem Limitation of single-spike neurons in spiking neural networks.
method Comparison of single-spike and multi-spike neural networks.
result Single-spike and multi-spike neural networks are equivalent in approximation capabilities.
DCNs mimic neuronal networks for improved neural classification.
problem Lack of topological similarity between DNNs and biological neural networks.
method Developed DCNs with topologies inspired by real-world neuronal networks.
result High classification accuracy achieved by DCNs.
CHANI learns classification tasks with local transformations inspired by biology.
problem Proving neural networks can learn classification tasks with local transformations.
method CHANI uses spiking neurons modeled by Hawkes processes with expert aggregation for local learning.
result CHANI can learn and encode multiple classes, forming assemblies of neurons.
New training method for ReLU networks achieves optimal weight size for memorization.
problem Approximate memorization of arbitrary real labels with neural networks.
method Complex recombination training procedure for ReLU networks.
result Approximate memorization with nearly optimal weight size and neuron count.
The predictive power of neural networks often costs model interpretability. Several techniques have been developed for explaining model outputs in terms of input features; however, it is difficult to translate such interpretations into actionable insight. Here, we propose a framework to analyze predictions in terms of …
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.
Despite our extensive knowledge of biophysical properties of neurons, there is no commonly accepted algorithmic theory of neuronal function. Here we explore the hypothesis that single-layer neuronal networks perform online symmetric nonnegative matrix factorization (SNMF) of the similarity matrix of the streamed data. …
We view a neural network as a distributed system of which neurons can fail independently, and we evaluate its robustness in the absence of any (recovery) learning phase. We give tight bounds on the number of neurons that can fail without harming the result of a computation. To determine our bounds, we leverage the fact…
Optimal neuron activation functions improve neural network performance.
problem Limited expressive power of standard neuron activation functions in neural networks.
method Additive Gaussian process regression to construct individual neuron activation functions.
result Optimal neuron activation functions lead to better performance and reduced overfitting.
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…
The artificial neural network is a popular framework in machine learning. To empower individual neurons, we recently suggested that the current type of neurons could be upgraded to 2nd order counterparts, in which the linear operation between inputs to a neuron and the associated weights is replaced with a nonlinear qu…
This work makes vision networks more interpretable by identifying key neurons.
problem Complex deep networks are hard to interpret, hindering safety-critical applications.
method Uses stochastic local competition and multimodal models to dissect and interpret neurons.
result The method generates understandable descriptions for a few active neurons, revealing network decision-making.
This paper presents a new artificial neuron model capable of learning its receptive field in the topological domain of inputs. The model provides adaptive and differentiable local connectivity (plasticity) applicable to any domain. It requires no other tool than the backpropagation algorithm to learn its parameters whi…
Improved NiNo networks accelerate Adam training by up to 50%.
problem Accelerating neural network training with stable and efficient methods.
method Proposed NiNo networks that leverage neuron connectivity and graph neural networks to nowcast parameters periodically during Adam training.
result Accelerates Adam training by up to 50% in vision and language tasks.
Recent advances in neuroscience have revealed many principles about neural processing. In particular, many biological systems were found to reconfigure/recruit single neurons to generate multiple kinds of decisions. Such findings have the potential to advance our understanding of the design and optimization process of …
Single neuron with ADA learns XOR and outperforms other functions.
problem Classifying linearly non-separable data.
method Proposed a new artificial neuron with apical dendrite activation.
result ADA function achieves 100% accuracy on XOR and superior performance on benchmark datasets.
RNNs trained on head direction task mimic brain's compass and shifter neurons.
problem Modeling brain's head direction system using neural networks.
method Optimized recurrent neural networks trained on angular velocity integration.
result RNNs naturally emerge with compass and shifter neuron-like properties.
Neuron-specific dropout reduces overfitting and data needs for neural networks.
problem Overfitting and insufficient training data for deep neural networks.
method Compares training and validation passes of a layer, drops targeted neurons based on feature analysis.
result Achieves similar or better testing accuracy with less data, reducing overfitting.
Novel method decorrelates neurons for better deep learning model generalization.
problem High correlations between neurons limit deep learning model generalization.
method Regularization terms from minimum spanning tree of neuron cliques, using correlation dissimilarities.
result Our regularizers outperform existing methods and minimize neuron redundancies.
Local convergence theory for mildly over-parameterized neural nets.
problem Understanding why over-parameterization works in neural networks.
method Developed a local convergence theory for two-layer neural nets, showing neuron convergence under certain conditions.
result All student neurons converge to one of teacher neurons when the loss is below a threshold.
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.
In this paper, some patterns of the Neuron Response of deep Convolutional Neural Networks were observed.
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…
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.
Automated method finds meaningful directions in neural network activations.
problem Mixed selectivity in neurons makes interpretation challenging.
method Automated quantification of interpretability and discovery of meaningful directions.
result Meaningful directions in neural network activations are more interpretable than individual neurons.
Deep neural networks (DNNs) are known for extracting useful information from large amounts of data. However, the representations learned in DNNs are typically hard to interpret, especially in dense layers. One crucial issue of the classical DNN model such as multilayer perceptron (MLP) is that neurons in the same layer…
We propose the BinaryGAN, a novel generative adversarial network (GAN) that uses binary neurons at the output layer of the generator. We employ the sigmoid-adjusted straight-through estimators to estimate the gradients for the binary neurons and train the whole network by end-to-end backpropogation. The proposed model …
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.
We propose a new generic type of stochastic neurons, called q-neurons, that considers activation functions based on Jackson's q-derivatives with stochastic parameters q. Our generalization of neural network architectures with q-neurons is shown to be both scalable and very easy to implement. We demonstrate expe…
Simplified neural network EFTs reveal a single critical condition.
problem Understanding neuron statistics in neural networks at initialization.
method Diagrammatic approach to effective field theories (EFTs).
result A single condition governs criticality of all neuron preactivations.
Persistent neurons improve neural network optimization by leveraging previous solutions.
problem Improving neural network optimization under different initialization and data distributions.
method Persistent neurons use information from previous converged solutions to explore new landscapes and avoid local minima.
result Persistent neurons converge to more optimal solutions and improve model performance under various initializations.
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.
Deep learning has recently led to great successes in tasks such as image recognition (e.g Krizhevsky et al., 2012). However, deep networks are still outmatched by the power and versatility of the brain, perhaps in part due to the richer neuronal computations available to cortical circuits. The challenge is to identify …
New method learns neural network activation functions from data.
problem Learning activation functions for neural networks.
method Model each neuron's activation function as a small neural network.
result Learned activation functions improve network performance.
Gradient descent dynamics in neural networks show quenching and activation phases.
problem Understanding training dynamics in neural networks.
method Numerical and phenomenological study of gradient descent algorithm for two-layer neural networks.
result Gradient descent dynamics exhibit quenching and activation phases in under-parametrized networks.
Neurons and networks in the cerebral cortex must operate reliably despite multiple sources of noise. To evaluate the impact of both input and output noise, we determine the robustness of single-neuron stimulus selective responses, as well as the robustness of attractor states of networks of neurons performing memory ta…
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…
Study enhances neural network interpretability through statistical methods.
problem Complexity and interpretability challenges in neural networks.
method Theoretical framework, statistical tests, dimensionality reduction algorithms.
result Developed bootstrapping technique and statistical tests for ANN performance.
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.
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.
Partial fusion combines neural networks to balance accuracy and efficiency.
problem Balancing accuracy and computational cost in neural networks.
method Extending weight aggregation methods based on neuron-level similarity, using partial optimal transport to match similar neurons.
result Achieves a flexible tradeoff between computational cost and performance.