Skip to main content
Log in

Neural networks, rational functions, and realization theory

  • Published:
Mathematics of Control, Signals and Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The problem of parametrizing single hidden layer scalar neural networks with continuous activation functions is investigated. A connection is drawn between realization theory for linear dynamical systems, rational functions, and neural networks that appears to be new. A result of this connection is a general parametrization of such neural networks in terms of strictly proper rational functions. Some existence and uniqueness results are derived. Jordan decompositions are developed, which show how the general form can be expressed in terms of a sum of canonical second order sections. The parametrization may be useful for studying learning algorithms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. F. Albertini, E. D. Sontag, and V. Maillot, Uniqueness of weights for neural networks,Artificial Neural Networks for Speech and Vision (R. Mammone, ed.), Chapman and Hall, London, 1993, 115–125.

    Google Scholar 

  2. A. C. Antoulas and B. D. O. Anderson, On the scalar rational interpolation problem,IMA Journal of Mathematical Control and Information,3 (1986), 61–88.

    Google Scholar 

  3. R. B. Barrar and H. L. Loeb, On extended varisolvent families,Journal D'Analyse Mathématique,26 (1973), 243–254.

    Google Scholar 

  4. K. L. Blackmore, R. C. Williamson, and I. M. Y. Mareels, Local minima and attractors at infinity of gradient descent learning algorithms,Journal of Mathematical Systems, Estimation and Control (1995), to appear.

  5. G. Cybenko, Approximation by superpositions of a sigmoidal function,Mathematics of Control, Signals,and Systems,2 (1989), 303–314.

    Google Scholar 

  6. P. J. Davis,Interpolation and Approximation, Dover, New York, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  7. W. F. Donoghue, Jr,Monotone Matrix Functions and Analytic Continuation, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  8. K.-I. Funahashi, On the approximate realization of continuous mappings by neural networks,Neural Networks,2 (1989), 183–192.

    Google Scholar 

  9. W. Gautschi, A survey of Gauss-Christoffel quadrature formulae,E. B. Christoffel, The Influence of His Work on Mathematics and the Physical Sciences (P. Butzer and F. Fehér, eds.), Birkhäuser, Basel, 1981, 72–147.

    Google Scholar 

  10. G. M. Georgiou and C. Koutsougeras, Complex domain backpropagation,IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Analog and Digital Signal Processing,39 (1992), 330–334.

    Google Scholar 

  11. W. B. Gragg and A. Lindquist, On the partial realization problem,Linear Algebra and its Applications,50 (1983), 277–319.

    Google Scholar 

  12. G. H. Hardy and E. M. Wright,An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  13. U. Helmke, Waring's problem for binary forms,Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra,80 (1992), 29–45.

    Google Scholar 

  14. K. Hornik, M. Stinchcombe, and H. White, Multilayer feedforward networks are universal approximators,Neural Networks,2 (1989), 359–366.

    Google Scholar 

  15. T. Kailath,Linear Systems, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  16. R. E. Kalman, On partial realizations, transfer functions, and canonical forms,Acta Polytechnica Scandinavica,31 (1979), 9–32.

    Google Scholar 

  17. R. E. Kalman, P. L. Falb, and M. A. Arbib,Topics in Mathematical System Theory, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  18. T. Kato,Perturbation Theory for Linear Operators, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1966.

    Google Scholar 

  19. H. Leung and S. Haykin, The complex backpropagation algorithm,IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing,39 (1991), 2101–2104.

    Google Scholar 

  20. C. Martin and M. Stamp, A note on the error in Gaussian quadrature, Preprint, 1992.

  21. R. A. Silverman,Introductory Complex Analysis, Dover, New York, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  22. E. D. Sontag,Mathematical Control Theory: Deterministic Finite Dimensional Systems, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  23. E. D. Sontag and H. J. Sussmann, Backpropagation can give rise to spurious local minima even for networks without hidden layers,Complex Systems,3 (1989), 91–106.

    Google Scholar 

  24. H. J. Sussmann, Uniqueness of weights for minimal feedforward nets with a given inputoutput map,Neural Networks,5 (1992), 589–593.

    Google Scholar 

  25. J. J. Sylvester, An essay on canonical forms, supplement to a sketch of a memoir on elimination,Collected Mathematical Papers I, paper 34, 1851.

  26. R. C. Williamson and U. Helmke, Existence and uniqueness results for neural network approximations,IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks,6 (1995), 2–13.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council, the Australian Telecommunications and Electronics Research Board, and the Boeing Commencai Aircraft Company (thanks to John Moore).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Helmke, U., Williamson, R.C. Neural networks, rational functions, and realization theory. Math. Control Signal Systems 8, 27–49 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212365

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212365

Key words

Navigation