arXiv:2605.11904cs.CVcs.AI2026-05中稿 · ICML

提出新分类器,更好应对增量学习中特征漂移问题。

Beyond Point-wise Neural Collapse: A Topology-Aware Hierarchical Classifier for Class-Incremental Learning

论文配图:Beyond Point-wise Neural Collapse: A Topology-Aware Hierarchical Classifier for Class-Incremental Learning
图 1 · 摘自论文原文
  • 用层次聚类捕捉特征流形的拓扑结构,替代点状近似。
  • 通过残差轨迹追踪动态调整拓扑,适应非线性特征漂移。
  • 在7种主流方法上提升性能,适合长期增量学习场景。

最近类均值(NCM)分类器因对灾难性遗忘更强的鲁棒性,被广泛用于类增量学习(CIL)。尽管神经坍缩(NC)理论支持其最优性,但非线性特征漂移和训练不足常导致特征无法坍缩为单点,使类别呈现复杂流形而非点状。为此,我们提出层级聚类SOINN(HC-SOINN),通过“局部到全局”表示捕获这些流形的拓扑结构。此外,我们设计结构-拓扑对齐残差方法(STAR),采用细粒度点级轨迹追踪机制主动变形已学拓扑,使其精准适应复杂的非线性特征漂移。理论分析与普罗克鲁斯特距离实验验证了框架对流形变形的鲁棒性。我们将HC-SOINN集成至七种先进方法中替换原有分类器,实现持续提升,凸显该方法的有效性与鲁棒性。代码见https://github.com/yhyet/HC_SOINN。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

The Nearest Class Mean (NCM) classifier is widely favored in Class-Incremental Learning (CIL) for its superior resistance to catastrophic forgetting compared to Fully Connected layers. While Neural Collapse (NC) theory supports NCM's optimality by assuming features collapse into single points, non-linear feature drift and insufficient training in CIL often prevent this ideal state. Consequently, classes manifest as complex manifolds rather than collapsed points, rendering the single-point NCM suboptimal. To address this, we propose Hierarchical-Cluster SOINN (HC-SOINN), a novel classifier that captures the topological structure of these manifolds via a ``local-to-global'' representation. Furthermore, we introduce Structure-Topology Alignment via Residuals (STAR) method, which employs a fine-grained pointwise trajectory tracking mechanism to actively deform the learned topology, allowing it to adapt precisely to complex non-linear feature drift. Theoretical analysis and Procrustes distance experiments validate our framework's resilience to manifold deformations. We integrated HC-SOINN into seven state-of-the-art methods by replacing their original classifiers, achieving consistent improvements that highlight the effectiveness and robustness of our approach. Code is available at https://github.com/yhyet/HC_SOINN.

增量学习拓扑结构特征漂移分类器

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