用遗传算法演化异步神经图,无需反向传播即可实现高效分类。
NeuronSoup: Evolving Asynchronous, Shared-Neuron Temporal Graphs without Backpropagation

- 通过共享神经元的异步信号传播模拟计算路径,延迟影响信号叠加。
- 在MNIST上达到85.9%准确率,仅需115KB存储,共204条活跃路径。
- 适合研究非传统计算范式、神经形态计算或低功耗推理的读者。
我们提出NeuronSoup,一种以异步延迟信号传播取代同步层间处理的神经计算架构。信号从输入神经元经可变数量的隐层神经元传递至输出神经元,隐层神经元在多路径间共享;当两条路径经过同一神经元时,后到信号会受先到信号状态影响,产生极性与时间相关的增强或抵消效应。整个架构——拓扑、权重、延迟和连接——由包含14,602个基因的实值基因组通过遗传算法共同演化。在使用冻结的ResNet18特征作为输入的10类手写数字分类任务中,系统演化出204条有效路径,经266个隐层神经元(其中156个被多路径共享,单个神经元最多参与11条路径),在10,000代后达到85.9%测试准确率,模型仅占115KB。该架构克服了当前深度学习的核心局限:无需可微计算图、可自适应每样本计算深度,并自发发现路径间的横向交互,而无需人工设计。我们讨论为何遗传算法是此类问题的正确优化工具,为何CMA-ES在此规模失效,以及如何通过替换编码器和输出结构将架构推广至任意领域。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
We present NeuronSoup, a neural computation architecture that replaces synchronous layer-by-layer processing with asynchronous, delay-mediated signal propagation through a pool of shared neurons. Each path in the network routes a continuous-valued signal from one input neuron to one output neuron through a variable number of intermediate hidden neurons. Hidden neurons are physically shared across paths: when two paths pass through the same neuron, the second arrival encounters the accumulated state left by the first, producing constructive or destructive interference that depends on signal polarity and arrival timing. The entire architecture -- topology, weights, delays, and connectivity -- is co-evolved by a genetic algorithm operating on a flat real-valued genome of 14,602 genes. On 10-class MNIST digit classification using frozen ResNet18 features as input, the system evolves a network of 204 active paths through 266 hidden neurons (156 shared across multiple paths, with one neuron participating in 11 distinct paths) and achieves 85.9\% test accuracy after 10,000 generations. The trained model occupies 115 KB. We argue that this architecture addresses fundamental limitations of current deep learning: it requires no differentiable computation graph, adapts its computation depth per-sample, and discovers lateral interactions between processing pathways that current architectures must engineer explicitly. We discuss why genetic algorithms are the correct optimization tool for this problem class, why CMA-ES fails at this scale, and how the architecture generalizes to arbitrary domains by substituting the encoder and output structure.
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