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Main Authors: Guzman, Marcelo, Ciarella, Simone, Liu, Andrea J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15842
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author Guzman, Marcelo
Ciarella, Simone
Liu, Andrea J.
author_facet Guzman, Marcelo
Ciarella, Simone
Liu, Andrea J.
contents Autonomous physical learning systems modify their internal parameters and solve computational tasks without relying on external computation. Compared to traditional computers, they enjoy distributed and energy-efficient learning due to their physical dynamics. In this paper, we introduce a self-learning resistor network, the Restricted Kirchhoff Machine, capable of solving unsupervised learning tasks akin to the Restricted Boltzmann Machine algorithm. The circuit relies on existing technology based on Contrastive Local Learning Networks, in which two identical networks compare different physical states to implement a contrastive local learning rule. We simulate the training of the machine on the binarized MNIST dataset, providing a proof of concept of its learning capabilities. Finally, we compare the scaling behavior of the time, power, and energy consumed per operation as more nodes are included in the machine to their Restricted Boltzmann Machine counterpart operated on CPU and GPU platforms.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_15842
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Unsupervised and probabilistic learning with Contrastive Local Learning Networks: The Restricted Kirchhoff Machine
Guzman, Marcelo
Ciarella, Simone
Liu, Andrea J.
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Computational Physics
Autonomous physical learning systems modify their internal parameters and solve computational tasks without relying on external computation. Compared to traditional computers, they enjoy distributed and energy-efficient learning due to their physical dynamics. In this paper, we introduce a self-learning resistor network, the Restricted Kirchhoff Machine, capable of solving unsupervised learning tasks akin to the Restricted Boltzmann Machine algorithm. The circuit relies on existing technology based on Contrastive Local Learning Networks, in which two identical networks compare different physical states to implement a contrastive local learning rule. We simulate the training of the machine on the binarized MNIST dataset, providing a proof of concept of its learning capabilities. Finally, we compare the scaling behavior of the time, power, and energy consumed per operation as more nodes are included in the machine to their Restricted Boltzmann Machine counterpart operated on CPU and GPU platforms.
title Unsupervised and probabilistic learning with Contrastive Local Learning Networks: The Restricted Kirchhoff Machine
topic Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Computational Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15842