Attractor dynamics in feedforward neural networks

We study the probabilistic generative models parameterized by feedforward neural networks. An attractor dynamics for probabilistic inference in these models is derived from a mean field approximation for large, layered sigmoidal networks. Fixed points of the dynamics correspond to solutions of the mean field equations, which relate the statistics of each unit to those of its Markov blanket. We establish global convergence of the dynamics by providing a Lyapunov function and show that the dynamics generate the signals required for unsupervised learning. Our results for feedforward networks provide a counterpart to those of Cohen-Grossberg and Hopfield for symmetric networks.     

Generalization by neural networks

The authors discuss the requirements of learning for generalization, where the traditional methods based on gradient descent have limited success. A stochastic learning algorithm based on simulated annealing in weight space is presented. The authors verify the convergence properties and feasibility of the algorithm. An implementation of the algorithm and validation experiments are described     

Interpolation functions of feedforward neural networks

Mathematical essence and structures of the feedforward neural networks are investigated in this paper. The interpolation mechanisms of the feedforward neural networks are explored. For example, the well-known result, namely, that a neural network is an universal approximator, can be concluded naturally from the interpolative representations. Finally, the learning algorithms of the feedforward neural networks are discussed.     

Function evaluation with feedforward neural networks

Much effort has previously been spent in investigating the decision making/object identification capabilities of feedforward neural networks. In the present work we examine the less frequently investigated abilities of such networks to implement computationally useful operations in arithmetic and function evaluation. The approach taken is to employ standard training methods, such as backpropagation, to teach simple three-level networks to perform selected operations ranging from one-to-one mappings to many-to-many mappings. Examples considered cover a wide range, such as performing reciprocal arithmetic on real valued inputs, implementing particle identifier functions for identification of nuclear isotopes in scattering experiments, and locating the coordinates of a charged particle moving on a surface. All mappings are required to interpolate and extrapolate from a small sample of taught exemplars to the general continuous domain of possible inputs. A unifying principle is proposed that looks upon all such function constructions as expansions in terms of basis functions, each of which is associated with a hidden node and is parameterized by such techniques as gradient descent methods.     

Inverting feedforward neural networks using linear and nonlinearprogramming

The problem of inverting trained feedforward neural networks is to find the inputs which yield a given output. In general, this problem is an ill-posed problem. We present a method for dealing with the inverse problem by using mathematical programming techniques. The principal idea behind the method is to formulate the inverse problem as a nonlinear programming problem, a separable programming (SP) problem, or a linear programming problem according to the architectures of networks to be inverted or the types of network inversions to be computed. An important advantage of the method over the existing iterative inversion algorithm is that various designated network inversions of multilayer perceptrons and radial basis function neural networks can be obtained by solving the corresponding SP problems, which can be solved by a modified simplex method. We present several examples to demonstrate the proposed method and applications of network inversions to examine and improve the generalization performance of trained networks. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Regularization parameter estimation for feedforward neural networks

Under the framework of the Kullback-Leibler (KL) distance, we show that a particular case of Gaussian probability function for feedforward neural networks (NNs) reduces into the first-order Tikhonov regularizer. The smooth parameter in kernel density estimation plays the role of regularization parameter. Under some approximations, an estimation formula is derived for estimating regularization parameters based on training data sets. The similarity and difference of the obtained results are compared with other work. Experimental results show that the estimation formula works well in sparse and small training sample cases.     

Diffusion learning algorithms for feedforward neural networks

The problem of training feedforward neural networks is considered. To solve it, new algorithms are proposed. They are based on the asymptotic analysis of the extended Kalman filter (EKF) and on a separable network structure. Linear weights are interpreted as diffusion random variables with zero expectation and a covariance matrix proportional to an arbitrarily large parameter λ. Asymptotic expressions for the EKF are derived as λ→∞. They are called diffusion learning algorithms (DLAs). It is shown that they are robust with respect to the accumulation of rounding errors in contrast to their prototype EKF with a large but finite λ and that, under certain simplifying assumptions, an extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm can be obtained from a DLA. A numerical example shows that the accuracy of a DLA may be higher than that of an ELM algorithm.     

有理式二阶前馈型神经网络

文章提出了二阶有理式多层前馈神经网络的数学模型。有理式多层神经网络的思想来源于函数逼近理论中的有理式逼近。有理式前馈神经网络模型是传统前俯神经网络模型的推广，能有效地求解函数逼近问题。文章给出了有理式多层神经网络的学习算法，即误差反传播学习算法。就计算复杂度而言，有理式神经网络的学习算法与传统的多层神经网络反传播算法是同阶的。文章还给出了函数逼近和模式识别两个应用实例，实验结果说明二阶有理式多层神经网络在解决传统的问题上是有效的。     

Using feedforward neural networks and forward selection of input variables for an ergonomics data classification problem

A method was developed to accurately predict the risk of injuries in industrial jobs based on datasets not meeting the assumptions of parametric statistical tools, or being incomplete. Previous research used a backward‐elimination process for feedforward neural network (FNN) input variable selection. Simulated annealing (SA) was used as a local search method in conjunction with a conjugate‐gradient algorithm to develop an FNN. This article presents an incremental step in the use of FNNs for ergonomics analyses, specifically the use of forward selection of input variables. Advantages to this approach include enhancing the effectiveness of the use of neural networks when observations are missing from ergonomics datasets, and preventing overspecification or overfitting of an FNN to training data. Classification performance across two methods involving the use of SA combined with either forward selection or backward elimination of input variables was comparable for complete datasets, and the forward‐selection approach produced results superior to previously used methods of FNN development, including the error back‐propagation algorithm, when dealing with incomplete data. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 31–49, 2004.     

Synthesis of fault-tolerant feedforward neural networks usingminimax optimization

In this paper we examine a technique by which fault tolerance can be embedded into a feedforward network leading to a network tolerant to the loss of a node and its associated weights. The fault tolerance problem for a feedforward network is formulated as a constrained minimax optimization problem. Two different methods are used to solve it. In the first method, the constrained minimax optimization problem is converted to a sequence of unconstrained least-squares optimization problems, whose solutions converge to the solution of the original minimax problem. An efficient gradient-based minimization technique, specially tailored for nonlinear least-squares optimization, is then applied to perform the unconstrained minimization at each step of the sequence. Several modifications are made to the basic algorithm to improve its speed of convergence. In the second method a different approach is used to convert the problem to a single unconstrained minimization problem whose solution very nearly equals that of the original minimax problem. Networks synthesized using these methods, though not always fault tolerant, exhibit an acceptable degree of partial fault tolerance.     

Sensitivity of feedforward neural networks to weight errors

An analysis is made of the sensitivity of feedforward layered networks of Adaline elements (threshold logic units) to weight errors. An approximation is derived which expresses the probability of error for an output neuron of a large network (a network with many neurons per layer) as a function of the percentage change in the weights. As would be expected, the probability of error increases with the number of layers in the network and with the percentage change in the weights. The probability of error is essentially independent of the number of weights per neuron and of the number of neurons per layer, as long as these numbers are large (on the order of 100 or more).     

Adaptation algorithms for 2-D feedforward neural networks

The generalized weight adaptation algorithms presented by J.G. Kuschewski et al. (1993) and by S.H. Zak and H.J. Sira-Ramirez (1990) are extended for 2-D madaline and 2-D two-layer feedforward neural nets (FNNs).     

An iterative pruning algorithm for feedforward neural networks

The problem of determining the proper size of an artificial neural network is recognized to be crucial, especially for its practical implications in such important issues as learning and generalization. One popular approach for tackling this problem is commonly known as pruning and it consists of training a larger than necessary network and then removing unnecessary weights/nodes. In this paper, a new pruning method is developed, based on the idea of iteratively eliminating units and adjusting the remaining weights in such a way that the network performance does not worsen over the entire training set. The pruning problem is formulated in terms of solving a system of linear equations, and a very efficient conjugate gradient algorithm is used for solving it, in the least-squares sense. The algorithm also provides a simple criterion for choosing the units to be removed, which has proved to work well in practice. The results obtained over various test problems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

多层前向小世界神经网络及其函数逼近

借鉴复杂网络的研究成果, 探讨一种在结构上处于规则和随机连接型神经网络之间的网络模型—-多层前向小世界神经网络. 首先对多层前向规则神经网络中的连接依重连概率p进行重连, 构建新的网络模型, 对其特征参数的分析表明, 当0 < p < 1时, 该网络在聚类系数上不同于Watts-Strogatz 模型; 其次用六元组模型对网络进行描述; 最后, 将不同p值下的小世界神经网络用于函数逼近, 仿真结果表明, 当p = 0:1时, 网络具有最优的逼近性能, 收敛性能对比试验也表明, 此时网络在收敛性能、逼近速度等指标上要优于同规模的规则网络和随机网络.     

Facial expression recognition using constructive feedforward neural networks

A new technique for facial expression recognition is proposed, which uses the two-dimensional (2D) discrete cosine transform (DCT) over the entire face image as a feature detector and a constructive one-hidden-layer feedforward neural network as a facial expression classifier. An input-side pruning technique, proposed previously by the authors, is also incorporated into the constructive learning process to reduce the network size without sacrificing the performance of the resulting network. The proposed technique is applied to a database consisting of images of 60 men, each having five facial expression images (neutral, smile, anger, sadness, and surprise). Images of 40 men are used for network training, and the remaining images of 20 men are used for generalization and testing. Confusion matrices calculated in both network training and generalization for four facial expressions (smile, anger, sadness, and surprise) are used to evaluate the performance of the trained network. It is demonstrated that the best recognition rates are 100% and 93.75% (without rejection), for the training and generalizing images, respectively. Furthermore, the input-side weights of the constructed network are reduced by approximately 30% using our pruning method. In comparison with the fixed structure back propagation-based recognition methods in the literature, the proposed technique constructs one-hidden-layer feedforward neural network with fewer number of hidden units and weights, while simultaneously provide improved generalization and recognition performance capabilities.     

Numeric sensitivity analysis applied to feedforward neural networks

During the last 10 years different interpretative methods for analysing the effect or importance of input variables on the output of a feedforward neural network have been proposed. These methods can be grouped into two sets: analysis based on the magnitude of weights; and sensitivity analysis. However, as described throughout this study, these methods present a series of limitations. We have defined and validated a new method, called Numeric Sensitivity Analysis (NSA), that overcomes these limitations, proving to be the procedure that, in general terms, best describes the effect or importance of the input variables on the output, independently of the nature (quantitative or discrete) of the variables included. The interpretative methods used in this study are implemented in the software program Sensitivity Neural Network 1.0, created by our team.     

A training algorithm for binary feedforward neural networks

The authors present a new training algorithm to be used on a four-layer perceptron-type feedforward neural network for the generation of binary-to-binary mappings. This algorithm is called the Boolean-like training algorithm (BLTA) and is derived from original principles of Boolean algebra followed by selected extensions. The algorithm can be implemented on analog hardware, using a four-layer binary feedforward neural network (BFNN). The BLTA does not constitute a traditional circuit building technique. Indeed, the rules which govern the BLTA allow for generalization of data in the face of incompletely specified Boolean functions. When compared with techniques which employ descent methods, training times are greatly reduced in the case of the BLTA. Also, when the BFNN is used in conjunction with A/D converters, the applicability of the present algorithm can be extended to accept real-valued inputs.     

Algorithmic mapping of feedforward neural networks onto multiplebus systems

This paper addresses the problem of mapping a feedforward ANN onto a multiple bus system, MBS, with p processors and b buses so as to minimize the total execution time. We present an algorithm which assigns the nodes of a given computational layer (c-layer) to processors such that the computation lower bound [N^l/p]t_p^l and the communication lower bound [N^l/b]t_c are achieved simultaneously, where N^l is the number of nodes in the mapped c-layer l and t_p^l and t_c are the computation and communication times, respectively, associated with a node in the layer. When computation and communication are not overlapped, we show that the optimal number of processors needed is either 1 or p, depending on the ratio t_p^l/t_c . When computation and communication are overlapped, we show that the optimal number of processors needed is either 1 or ([t_p ^l/t_c])b. We show that there is a unique arrangement of interfaces such that the total number of interfaces is minimum and the optimal time is reached. Finally, we compare the relative merits of the MBS simulating ANNs over the recently introduced checkerboarding scheme     

Approximation of algebraic and trigonometric polynomials by feedforward neural networks

This paper presents a function approximation to a general class of polynomials by using one-hidden-layer feedforward neural networks(FNNs). Both the approximations of algebraic polynomial and trigonometric polynomial functions are discussed in details. For algebraic polynomial functions, an one-hidden-layer FNN with chosen number of hidden-layer nodes and corresponding weights is established by a constructive method to approximate the polynomials to a remarkable high degree of accuracy. For trigonometric functions, an upper bound of approximation is therefore derived by the constructive FNNs. In addition, algorithmic examples are also included to confirm the accuracy performance of the constructive FNNs method. The results show that it improves efficiently the approximations of both algebraic polynomials and trigonometric polynomials. Consequently, the work is really of both theoretical and practical significance in constructing a one-hidden-layer FNNs for approximating the class of polynomials. The work also paves potentially the way for extending the neural networks to approximate a general class of complicated functions both in theory and practice.