用Excel直观展示神经网络计算全过程,支持实时调试与学习。
The Architect: Interactive Visualization of Deep Learning Mathematics Directly in Microsoft Excel

- 通过表格定义网络结构,自动生成可交互的计算 workbook
- 实时显示前向传播、反向传播及参数更新过程
- 适合初学者理解模型细节或诊断梯度问题
我们提出 The Architect,一个将 Microsoft Excel 变为深度学习数学互动视图的系统。用户以简洁表格描述神经网络,系统自动生成包含完整前向传播、可选反向传播与参数更新的工作簿。计算值以动态公式形式呈现,输入、权重、标签和超参数等用户可控项保持可编辑。Excel 的重算引擎实现依赖计算的实时更新。多数深度学习工具隐藏底层数值细节,可视化工具多仅展示架构图或训练汇总,却未暴露模型完整算术过程。The Architect 聚焦于这一缺失的中间层,使矩阵、激活值、损失、梯度与参数更新均可见且可查,提供可编辑控制。系统还生成对齐的 PyTorch 代码片段,帮助用户连接公式与实现。报告介绍其动机、设计、实现与使用场景,展示其在基础算术追踪、学习率探索、死 ReLU 诊断、梯度消失检查中的应用。核心思想简单:电子表格已具备公式、直接编辑、反应式重算与表格布局等特性,使其成为理解小型教育与诊断性神经网络计算的有力媒介。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
We present The Architect, a system that turns Microsoft Excel into an interactive view of deep learning mathematics. A user describes a neural network in a compact table. The system then generates a workbook that shows the full forward pass and, when requested, the backward pass and parameter updates. Computed values appear as live spreadsheet formulas, while user-controlled values such as inputs, weights, labels, and hyperparameters remain editable. Excel reactively updates the dependent computations through its recalculation engine. Most deep learning tools hide the numerical details behind library calls. Many visualization tools show architecture diagrams or training summaries, but they do not expose the full arithmetic of the model. The Architect focuses on that missing middle layer. It makes matrices, activations, losses, gradients, and updates visible as inspectable spreadsheet regions, with editable controls for values users naturally manipulate. The system also produces aligned PyTorch snippets, which helps users connect formulas to implementation. This report describes the motivation, design, implementation, and use cases of The Architect. We show how the system supports introductory arithmetic tracing, learning-rate exploration, diagnosis of dying ReLU, and inspection of vanishing gradients. The main idea is simple: spreadsheets already support formulas, direct editing, reactive recomputation, and tabular layout. These properties make them a useful medium for understanding how small educational and diagnostic neural networks compute.
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