Parameter vs Hyperparameter
A parameter is a variable that is learned during the training of the neural network, such as the weights and biases of each neuron. These values are updated during training to minimize the loss function.
On the other hand, a hyperparameter is a setting that is chosen before training begins and is not learned during training, such as the learning rate, number of hidden layers, or choice of the activation function. These values can have a significant impact on the performance of the neural network, and they are typically set through trial and error or other optimization techniques.`
Setting the hyperparameters
Grid search: This is a brute-force approach where you try out all possible combinations of hyperparameter values in a predefined range. While this can be time-consuming, it ensures that you test all possible combinations and find the optimal set of hyperparameters.
Random search: This approach randomly samples hyperparameters from predefined ranges, and then trains the model with each combination of hyperparameters. While it may not guarantee to find the best hyperparameters, it can be more efficient than grid search.
Bayesian optimization: This method uses probabilistic models to select the most promising hyperparameters for the next evaluation, based on the performance of previous evaluations. This method can be more efficient than grid search and random search, especially for high-dimensional hyperparameters.
Expert knowledge: Sometimes, domain experts may have knowledge about the problem and the characteristics of the data that can help in selecting appropriate hyperparameters. This approach can be especially useful in situations where computational resources are limited.
Once the optimal set of hyperparameters is identified, they can be used to train the neural network, and the resulting model can be evaluated on a test dataset to ensure its effectiveness.
Grid search and random search are two of the most commonly used techniques for hyperparameter tuning in deep learning, especially when there are a limited number of hyperparameters to optimize. Grid search can be exhaustive, but it can also be time-consuming and computationally expensive, especially when the number of hyperparameters is high. On the other hand, random search can be more efficient in some cases, since it randomly samples hyperparameters from predefined ranges, which can lead to faster convergence to the optimal set of hyperparameters.
Bayesian optimization is also gaining popularity in deep learning for hyperparameter tuning, especially when the number of hyperparameters is high. This approach can be more efficient than grid search and random search, since it uses probabilistic models to select the most promising hyperparameters for the next evaluation, based on the performance of previous evaluations.
There are different methods and techniques to ensure that the parameters and hyperparameters of a neural network are in reasonable values. Here are some common approaches:
Grid search and random search: These are two popular methods for hyperparameter tuning. Grid search exhaustively searches a pre-defined range of hyperparameters, while random search randomly samples hyperparameters from a given distribution. Both methods can help to find the best combination of hyperparameters that result in a good performance of the model.
Cross-validation: Cross-validation is a technique to evaluate the performance of a model and to estimate its generalization error. It involves splitting the dataset into multiple subsets, training the model on a subset, and evaluating its performance on the remaining subsets. Cross-validation can help to identify overfitting or underfitting problems and to adjust the hyperparameters accordingly.
Regularization: Regularization is a technique used to prevent overfitting of the model. It adds a penalty term to the loss function, which encourages the model to have smaller weights and biases. Regularization techniques such as L1 and L2 regularization can help to keep the weights and biases in reasonable values.
Visual inspection: Sometimes, it is helpful to visualize the weights and biases of the neural network to get a sense of whether they are in reasonable values or not. For example, if the weights are extremely large or small, it may indicate a problem with the model architecture or hyperparameters.
Gradual tuning: It is recommended to start with default hyperparameters and gradually adjust them based on the performance of the model. This approach can help to avoid setting extreme values for the hyperparameters and to find a reasonable range of values that result in a good performance of the model.
Overall, monitoring the parameters and hyperparameters of a neural network is an iterative process that involves tuning and adjusting the values based on the performance of the model.
adjusting the hyperparameters is also an important part of training a neural network. The choice of hyperparameters can significantly affect the performance of the model, and so it's important to carefully choose them. Some common hyperparameters include the learning rate, number of hidden layers, number of neurons in each layer, activation functions, and regularization strength. These hyperparameters are usually set based on trial and error or using techniques such as grid search or random search.
After training finishes, the weights in each layer of the neural network will be defined. During the training process, the weights are adjusted in each iteration to minimize the loss function, and at the end of training, the weights that result in the lowest loss are kept as the final weights. These final weights will be used for making predictions on new data.
Number of epochs
The number of epochs in a neural network is a hyperparameter that determines how many times the entire training dataset will be used to update the weights and biases of the neural network.
The number of epochs is often set based on the complexity of the problem, the size of the dataset, and the convergence rate of the network during training. In general, increasing the number of epochs can improve the performance of the network, but only up to a certain point, after which the performance may start to deteriorate due to overfitting.
A common practice is to monitor the loss function on a validation set during training, and stop training when the validation loss stops improving. This is known as early stopping, and it helps to prevent overfitting.
The number of epochs can be set manually by the user based on their experience and understanding of the problem, or it can be determined automatically using techniques such as grid search, random search, or Bayesian optimization.
