NeuroCOLT

Neural Networks and Computational Learning Theory

 

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NeuroCOLT Technical Report NC-TR-95-028

Improvement of Gradient Descent based Algorithms Training Multilayer Perceptrons with an Evolutionnary Initialization

Cedric Gegout
Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon
Lyon

Abstract
Gradient descent algorithms reducing the mean square error computed on a training set are widely used for training real valued feedforward networks, because of their easy implementation and their efficacy. But in some cases they are trapped in a local optimum and are not able to find a good network. In order to eliminate theses limitated cases, usually we could only restart the gradient descent or found an initialization point constructed with unreliable and training set dependant heuristics. This paper presents a new method to find a good initialization point. An evolutionary algorithm provides an individual whose phenotype is a neural network. This individual is the best one that makes a quick, efficient and robust gradient descent. The genotypes are real valued vectors containing parameters of networks. Therefore we use special genetic operators. Simulation results show that this initialization reduces the neural network training time, the training complexity and improves the robustness of gradient descent based algorithms.

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