Perceive Corporation

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Actel Corporation, Inc.

Tabula, Inc.

Eric A Sather

Steven L Teig

Andrew C Mihal

William C Plants

Arunangshu Kundu

Andrew F Siegel

Alexandru F Drimbarean

Evgeny Sorkin

Some embodiments provide a neural network inference circuit for executing a neural network that includes multiple nodes that use state data from previous executions of the neural network. The neural network inference circuit includes (i) a set of computation circuits configured to execute the nodes of the neural network and (ii) a set of memories configured to implement a set of one or more registers to store, while executing the neural network for a particular input, state data generated during at least two executions of the network for previous inputs. The state data is for use by the set of computation circuits when executing a set of the nodes of the neural network for the particular input.

Circuit for executing stateful neural network

Some embodiments provide a method for training a machine-trained network that includes multiple parameters. The method propagates a batch of input training items through the network to generate output values and compute values of a loss function for each of the input training items. The method computes a weight for each input training item based on the computed loss function values for each of the input training items. The method selects input training items with larger weights more often than input training items with smaller weights for subsequent batches of input training items.

Weighted selection of inputs for training machine-trained network

Some embodiments provide an electronic device that includes a set of processing units and a set of machine-readable media. The set of machine-readable media stores sets of instructions for applying a network of computation nodes to an input received by the device. The set of machine-readable media stores at least two sets of machine-trained parameters for configuring the network for different types of inputs. A first of the sets of parameters is used for applying the network to a first type of input and a second of the sets of parameters is used for applying the network to a second type of input.

Training network with discrete weight values

Some embodiments provide a method for training a machine-trained (MT) network that processes inputs using network parameters. The method propagates a set of input training items through the MT network to generate a set of output values. The set of input training items comprises multiple training items for each of multiple categories. The method identifies multiple training item groupings in the set of input training items. Each grouping includes at least two training items in a first category and at least one training item in a second category. The method calculates a value of a loss function as a summation of individual loss functions for each of the identified training item groupings. The individual loss function for each particular training item grouping is based on the output values for the training items of the grouping. The method trains the network parameters using the calculated loss function value.

Using batches of training items for training a network

Some embodiments provide a method for training a machine-trained (MT) network. The method propagates multiple inputs through the MT network to generate an output for each of the inputs. each of the inputs is associated with an expected output, the MT network uses multiple network parameters to process the inputs, and each network parameter of a set of the network parameters is defined during training as a probability distribution across a discrete set of possible values for the network parameter. The method calculates a value of a loss function for the MT network that includes (i) a first term that measures network error based on the expected outputs compared to the generated outputs and (ii) a second term that penalizes divergence of the probability distribution for each network parameter in the set of network parameters from a predefined probability distribution for the network parameter.

Training sparse networks with discrete weight values

Some embodiments provide a method for training a machine-trained (MT) network that processes input data using network parameters. The method maps a set of input instances to a set of output values by propagating the set of input instances through the MT network. The set of input instances includes input instances for each of multiple categories. For a particular input instance selected as an anchor instance, the method calculates a true positive rate (TPR) for the MT network as a function of a distance between the output value for the anchor instance and the output value for each input instance not in a same category as the anchor instance. The method calculates a loss function for the anchor instance that maximizes the TPR for the MT network at low false positive rate. The method trains the network parameters using the calculated loss function.

Training network to maximize true positive rate at low false positive rate

Some embodiments provide a method for training multiple parameters of a machine-trained (MT) network subject to a sparsity constraint that requires a threshold portion of the parameters to be equal to zero. A first set of the parameters subject to the sparsity constraint are grouped into groups of parameters. For each parameter of a second set of the parameters subject to the sparsity constraint, the method determines an accuracy penalty associated with the parameter being set to zero. For each group of parameters in the first set of parameters, the method determines a minimum accuracy penalty for each possible number of parameters in the group being set to zero. The method uses the determined accuracy penalties to set to the value zero at least the threshold portion of the plurality of parameters.

Optimizing global sparsity for neural network

Some embodiments provide a method for training a machine-trained (MT) network. The method uses a set of training inputs to train parameters of the MT network according to an initial loss function. The method uses a set of validation inputs to compute an error measure for the MT network as trained by the first set of training inputs. The method modifies the loss function for subsequent training of the MT network based on the computed error measure. The method uses the set of training inputs to train the parameters of the MT network according to the modified loss function.

Optimizing loss function during training of network

Some embodiments provide a method for training parameters of a network. The method receives a network with layers of nodes. Each node of a set of the layers computes an output value based on a set of input values and a set of trained weight values. A first layer of the network includes a first number of filters. The method replaces the first layer with a second layer having a second number of filters that is less than the first number and a third layer, following the second layer, having the first number of filters. Each weight value in the filters of the second and third layers is restricted to a set of allowed quantized weight values. A total number of weight values in the filters of the second and third layers is less than a total number of weight values in the filters of the first layer.

Decomposition of ternary weight tensors

Some embodiments provide a method for training parameters of a network. the method receives a machine-trained (MT) network with multiple layers of computation nodes. Each computation node of a set of the layers computes an output value based on a set of input values and a set of trained weight values. A first layer of the MT network includes a first number of filters. The method replaces the first layer with (i) a second layer having a second number of filters that is less than the first number of filters and (ii) a third layer having the first number of filters. Output values of computation nodes of the second layer are quantized and the third layer using the quantized output values of the second layer as input values.

Decomposition of weight tensors in network with value quantization

Some embodiments provide a method for training a network including layers that each includes multiple nodes. The method identifies a set of related layers of the network. Each node in one of the related layers has corresponding nodes in each of the other related layers. Each set of corresponding nodes receives a same set of inputs and applies different sets of weights to the inputs to generate an output. The method identifies an element-wise addition layer including nodes that each add outputs of a different set of corresponding nodes from the related layers to generate a sum. The method uses a set of outputs generated by the nodes of each related layer to determine batch normalization parameters specific to each layer of the set of related layers. The method uses data generated by the element-wise addition layer to determine batch normalization parameters for the set of related layers.

Batch normalization for replicated layers of neural network

Some embodiments provide a method for executing a layer of a neural network, for a circuit that restricts a number of weight values used per layer. The method applies a first set of weights to a set of inputs to generate a first set of results. The first set of weights are restricted to a first set of allowed values. For each of one or more additional sets of weights, the method applies the respective additional set of weights to the same set of inputs to generate a respective additional set of results. The respective additional set of weights is restricted to a respective additional set of allowed values that is related to the first set of allowed values and the other additional sets of allowed values. The method generates outputs for the particular layer by combining the first set of results with each respective additional set of results.

Executing replicated neural network layers on inference circuit

Some embodiments provide a method for training a machine-trained (MT) network that processes input data using network parameters. The method maps a set of input instances to a set of output values by propagating the set of input instances through the MT network. The set of input instances include input instances for each of multiple categories. The method selects multiple input instances as anchor instances. For each anchor instance, the method computes a loss function as a comparison between the output value for the anchor instance and each output value for an input instance in a different category than the anchor. The method computes a total loss function for the MT network as a sum of the loss function computed for each anchor instance. The method trains the network parameters using the computed total loss function.

Training network with batches of input instances

Some embodiments provide a method for reducing complexity of a machine-trained (MT) network that receives input data and computes output data for each input data. The MT network includes multiple computation nodes that (i) generate output values and (ii) use output values of other computation nodes as input values. During training of the MT network, the method introduces probabilistic noise to the output values of a set of the computation nodes. the method determines a subset of the computation nodes for which the introduction of the probabilistic noise to the output value does not affect the computed output data for the network. The method removes the subset of computation nodes from the trained MT network.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Eric A Sather