arXiv:2505.13058cs.LGcs.ET2025-05被引 6

用梯度下降训练神经元胞自动机,实现连续环境下的通用计算。

A Path to Universal Neural Cellular Automata

  • 通过梯度下降学习规则,构建可通用计算的连续神经胞自动机。
  • 成功训练出矩阵乘法、转置等计算单元,实现MNIST分类任务。
  • 为模拟类通用计算机和机器学习发现复杂行为提供新路径。

胞自动机因其从简单局部规则生成复杂行为而闻名,经典离散模型如康威生命游戏已被证明具备通用计算能力。近年来,胞自动机被扩展至连续域,引发其是否仍保有通用计算能力的疑问。与此同时,神经胞自动机作为新兴范式,通过梯度下降学习规则而非人工设计。本文探索通过梯度下降训练神经胞自动机,在连续设置中实现通用胞自动机。提出相应模型、目标函数与训练策略,引导神经胞自动机向通用计算演进。实验表明,可成功训练基本计算单元,如矩阵乘法与转置,并在胞自动机状态内直接实现解决MNIST数字分类任务的神经网络。这些结果标志着迈向模拟类通用计算机的重要基础步骤,对理解连续动力学中的通用计算及通过机器学习自动发现复杂胞自动机行为具有深远意义。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Cellular automata have long been celebrated for their ability to generate complex behaviors from simple, local rules, with well-known discrete models like Conway's Game of Life proven capable of universal computation. Recent advancements have extended cellular automata into continuous domains, raising the question of whether these systems retain the capacity for universal computation. In parallel, neural cellular automata have emerged as a powerful paradigm where rules are learned via gradient descent rather than manually designed. This work explores the potential of neural cellular automata to develop a continuous Universal Cellular Automaton through training by gradient descent. We introduce a cellular automaton model, objective functions and training strategies to guide neural cellular automata toward universal computation in a continuous setting. Our experiments demonstrate the successful training of fundamental computational primitives - such as matrix multiplication and transposition - culminating in the emulation of a neural network solving the MNIST digit classification task directly within the cellular automata state. These results represent a foundational step toward realizing analog general-purpose computers, with implications for understanding universal computation in continuous dynamics and advancing the automated discovery of complex cellular automata behaviors via machine learning.

神经胞自动机通用计算连续系统机器学习

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