Overcoming the Limitations of Layer Synchronization in Spiking Neural Networks

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2408.05098v1
• Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2024 14:39:23 GMT
• Title: Overcoming the Limitations of Layer Synchronization in Spiking Neural Networks
• Authors: Roel Koopman, Amirreza Yousefzadeh, Mahyar Shahsavari, Guangzhi Tang, Manolis Sifalakis,
• Abstract summary: A truly asynchronous system would allow all neurons to evaluate concurrently their threshold and emit spikes upon receiving any presynaptic current. We present a study that documents and quantifies this problem in three datasets on our simulation environment that implements network asynchrony. We show that models trained with layer synchronization either perform sub-optimally in absence of the synchronization, or they will fail to benefit from any energy and latency reduction.
• Score: 0.11522790873450185
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Abstract: Currently, neural-network processing in machine learning applications relies on layer synchronization, whereby neurons in a layer aggregate incoming currents from all neurons in the preceding layer, before evaluating their activation function. This is practiced even in artificial Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), which are touted as consistent with neurobiology, in spite of processing in the brain being, in fact asynchronous. A truly asynchronous system however would allow all neurons to evaluate concurrently their threshold and emit spikes upon receiving any presynaptic current. Omitting layer synchronization is potentially beneficial, for latency and energy efficiency, but asynchronous execution of models previously trained with layer synchronization may entail a mismatch in network dynamics and performance. We present a study that documents and quantifies this problem in three datasets on our simulation environment that implements network asynchrony, and we show that models trained with layer synchronization either perform sub-optimally in absence of the synchronization, or they will fail to benefit from any energy and latency reduction, when such a mechanism is in place. We then "make ends meet" and address the problem with unlayered backprop, a novel backpropagation-based training method, for learning models suitable for asynchronous processing. We train with it models that use different neuron execution scheduling strategies, and we show that although their neurons are more reactive, these models consistently exhibit lower overall spike density (up to 50%), reach a correct decision faster (up to 2x) without integrating all spikes, and achieve superior accuracy (up to 10% higher). Our findings suggest that asynchronous event-based (neuromorphic) AI computing is indeed more efficient, but we need to seriously rethink how we train our SNN models, to benefit from it.

Related papers

• Advancing Spatio-Temporal Processing in Spiking Neural Networks through Adaptation [6.233189707488025]
  In this article, we analyze the dynamical, computational, and learning properties of adaptive LIF neurons and networks thereof. We show that the superiority of networks of adaptive LIF neurons extends to the prediction and generation of complex time series.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-14T12:49:58Z)
• Continuous time recurrent neural networks: overview and application to forecasting blood glucose in the intensive care unit [56.801856519460465]
  Continuous time autoregressive recurrent neural networks (CTRNNs) are a deep learning model that account for irregular observations. We demonstrate the application of these models to probabilistic forecasting of blood glucose in a critical care setting.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-04-14T09:39:06Z)
• Intelligence Processing Units Accelerate Neuromorphic Learning [52.952192990802345]
  Spiking neural networks (SNNs) have achieved orders of magnitude improvement in terms of energy consumption and latency. We present an IPU-optimized release of our custom SNN Python package, snnTorch.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-11-19T15:44:08Z)
• SpikiLi: A Spiking Simulation of LiDAR based Real-time Object Detection for Autonomous Driving [0.0]
  Spiking Neural Networks are a new neural network design approach that promises tremendous improvements in power efficiency, computation efficiency, and processing latency. We first illustrate the applicability of spiking neural networks to a complex deep learning task namely Lidar based 3D object detection for automated driving.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-06-06T20:05:17Z)
• Training High-Performance Low-Latency Spiking Neural Networks by Differentiation on Spike Representation [70.75043144299168]
  Spiking Neural Network (SNN) is a promising energy-efficient AI model when implemented on neuromorphic hardware. It is a challenge to efficiently train SNNs due to their non-differentiability. We propose the Differentiation on Spike Representation (DSR) method, which could achieve high performance.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-05-01T12:44:49Z)
• Learning Without a Global Clock: Asynchronous Learning in a Physics-Driven Learning Network [1.3124513975412255]
  We show that desynchronizing the learning process does not degrade performance for a variety of tasks in an idealized simulation. We draw an analogy between asynchronicity and mini-batching in gradient descent, and show that they have similar effects on the learning process.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-01-10T05:38:01Z)
• Training Feedback Spiking Neural Networks by Implicit Differentiation on the Equilibrium State [66.2457134675891]
  Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are brain-inspired models that enable energy-efficient implementation on neuromorphic hardware. Most existing methods imitate the backpropagation framework and feedforward architectures for artificial neural networks. We propose a novel training method that does not rely on the exact reverse of the forward computation.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-09-29T07:46:54Z)
• BackEISNN: A Deep Spiking Neural Network with Adaptive Self-Feedback and Balanced Excitatory-Inhibitory Neurons [8.956708722109415]
  Spiking neural networks (SNNs) transmit information through discrete spikes, which performs well in processing spatial-temporal information. We propose a deep spiking neural network with adaptive self-feedback and balanced excitatory and inhibitory neurons (BackEISNN) For the MNIST, FashionMNIST, and N-MNIST datasets, our model has achieved state-of-the-art performance.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-05-27T08:38:31Z)
• Neuromorphic Algorithm-hardware Codesign for Temporal Pattern Learning [11.781094547718595]
  We derive an efficient training algorithm for Leaky Integrate and Fire neurons, which is capable of training a SNN to learn complex spatial temporal patterns. We have developed a CMOS circuit implementation for a memristor-based network of neuron and synapses which retains critical neural dynamics with reduced complexity.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-04-21T18:23:31Z)
• Recurrent Neural Network Learning of Performance and Intrinsic Population Dynamics from Sparse Neural Data [77.92736596690297]
  We introduce a novel training strategy that allows learning not only the input-output behavior of an RNN but also its internal network dynamics. We test the proposed method by training an RNN to simultaneously reproduce internal dynamics and output signals of a physiologically-inspired neural model. Remarkably, we show that the reproduction of the internal dynamics is successful even when the training algorithm relies on the activities of a small subset of neurons.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-05-05T14:16:54Z)
• Event-based Asynchronous Sparse Convolutional Networks [54.094244806123235]
  Event cameras are bio-inspired sensors that respond to per-pixel brightness changes in the form of asynchronous and sparse "events" We present a general framework for converting models trained on synchronous image-like event representations into asynchronous models with identical output. We show both theoretically and experimentally that this drastically reduces the computational complexity and latency of high-capacity, synchronous neural networks.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-03-20T08:39:49Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.