调节网络学习强度可显著影响训练动态与性能,找到最优学习率与之匹配至关重要。
The Optimization Landscape of SGD Across the Feature Learning Strength
- 通过调整超参数γ控制特征学习强度,发现其与学习率η存在非平凡的缩放关系。
- 大γ值下模型呈现先平台后下降的典型损失曲线,且不同γ值优化轨迹相似。
- 在高γ区域往往取得最佳性能,提示需精细调优该超参数以避免遗漏最优解。
我们研究了神经网络中最终层缩放因子γ对梯度下降(SGD)优化景观的影响。γ控制特征学习强度:当γ增大时,网络从'懒惰'核动力学过渡到'丰富'特征学习动力学,带来性能提升。本文在多种模型与数据集的在线训练设置下,系统考察γ的作用。首先分析γ与学习率η的交互,识别出γ-η平面上的多个缩放区域,并用简单模型理论解释。发现最优学习率η*随γ非平凡变化:当γ≪1时,η*∝γ²;当γ≫1时,对于深度为L的前馈网络,η*∝γ^{2/L}。基于此最优缩放,我们探索了尚未充分研究的'超丰富'γ≫1区域。发现大γ下的网络表现出典型损失曲线——长期平台后突然下降,有时伴随多次阶梯式下降。不同大γ值的网络优化轨迹在时间重参数化后高度相似。此外,最佳在线性能常出现在大γ区域,若未调优γ可能错失最优结果。研究表明,对大γ极限的解析分析或能揭示高性能模型中表示学习的动力学本质。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
We consider neural networks (NNs) where the final layer is down-scaled by a fixed hyperparameter $γ$. Recent work has identified $γ$ as controlling the strength of feature learning. As $γ$ increases, network evolution changes from "lazy" kernel dynamics to "rich" feature-learning dynamics, with a host of associated benefits including improved performance on common tasks. In this work, we conduct a thorough empirical investigation of the effect of scaling $γ$ across a variety of models and datasets in the online training setting. We first examine the interaction of $γ$ with the learning rate $η$, identifying several scaling regimes in the $γ$-$η$ plane which we explain theoretically using a simple model. We find that the optimal learning rate $η^*$ scales non-trivially with $γ$. In particular, $η^* \propto γ^2$ when $γ\ll 1$ and $η^* \propto γ^{2/L}$ when $γ\gg 1$ for a feed-forward network of depth $L$. Using this optimal learning rate scaling, we proceed with an empirical study of the under-explored "ultra-rich" $γ\gg 1$ regime. We find that networks in this regime display characteristic loss curves, starting with a long plateau followed by a drop-off, sometimes followed by one or more additional staircase steps. We find networks of different large $γ$ values optimize along similar trajectories up to a reparameterization of time. We further find that optimal online performance is often found at large $γ$ and could be missed if this hyperparameter is not tuned. Our findings indicate that analytical study of the large-$γ$ limit may yield useful insights into the dynamics of representation learning in performant models.
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