Neural Hilbert Ladders: Multi-Layer Neural Networks in Function Space

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Chen, Zhengdao
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Chen, Zhengdao
author_facet Chen, Zhengdao
contents To characterize the function space explored by neural networks (NNs) is an important aspect of learning theory. In this work, noticing that a multi-layer NN generates implicitly a hierarchy of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs) - named a neural Hilbert ladder (NHL) - we define the function space as an infinite union of RKHSs, which generalizes the existing Barron space theory of two-layer NNs. We then establish several theoretical properties of the new space. First, we prove a correspondence between functions expressed by L-layer NNs and those belonging to L-level NHLs. Second, we prove generalization guarantees for learning an NHL with a controlled complexity measure. Third, we derive a non-Markovian dynamics of random fields that governs the evolution of the NHL which is induced by the training of multi-layer NNs in an infinite-width mean-field limit. Fourth, we show examples of depth separation in NHLs under the ReLU activation function. Finally, we perform numerical experiments to illustrate the feature learning aspect of NN training through the lens of NHLs.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2307_01177
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Neural Hilbert Ladders: Multi-Layer Neural Networks in Function Space
Chen, Zhengdao
Machine Learning
Functional Analysis
Optimization and Control
Probability
To characterize the function space explored by neural networks (NNs) is an important aspect of learning theory. In this work, noticing that a multi-layer NN generates implicitly a hierarchy of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs) - named a neural Hilbert ladder (NHL) - we define the function space as an infinite union of RKHSs, which generalizes the existing Barron space theory of two-layer NNs. We then establish several theoretical properties of the new space. First, we prove a correspondence between functions expressed by L-layer NNs and those belonging to L-level NHLs. Second, we prove generalization guarantees for learning an NHL with a controlled complexity measure. Third, we derive a non-Markovian dynamics of random fields that governs the evolution of the NHL which is induced by the training of multi-layer NNs in an infinite-width mean-field limit. Fourth, we show examples of depth separation in NHLs under the ReLU activation function. Finally, we perform numerical experiments to illustrate the feature learning aspect of NN training through the lens of NHLs.
title Neural Hilbert Ladders: Multi-Layer Neural Networks in Function Space
topic Machine Learning
Functional Analysis
Optimization and Control
Probability
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.01177