Week 43: Convolutional Neural Networks and Recurrent Neural Networks

Morten Hjorth-Jensen [1, 2]

[1] Department of Physics, University of Oslo
[2] Department of Physics and Astronomy and National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University

Oct 23, 2021












Plans for week 43

Excellent lectures on CNNs and RNNs

More resources

  • CS231 at Stanford Lecture










  • Recurrent neural networks: Overarching view

    Till now our focus has been, including convolutional neural networks as well, on feedforward neural networks. The output or the activations flow only in one direction, from the input layer to the output layer.

    A recurrent neural network (RNN) looks very much like a feedforward neural network, except that it also has connections pointing backward.

    RNNs are used to analyze time series data such as stock prices, and tell you when to buy or sell. In autonomous driving systems, they can anticipate car trajectories and help avoid accidents. More generally, they can work on sequences of arbitrary lengths, rather than on fixed-sized inputs like all the nets we have discussed so far. For example, they can take sentences, documents, or audio samples as input, making them extremely useful for natural language processing systems such as automatic translation and speech-to-text.











    Set up of an RNN

    Text to come.











    A simple example

    # Start importing packages
    import pandas as pd
    import numpy as np
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
    import tensorflow as tf
    from tensorflow.keras import datasets, layers, models
    from tensorflow.keras.layers import Input
    from tensorflow.keras.models import Model, Sequential 
    from tensorflow.keras.layers import Dense, SimpleRNN, LSTM, GRU
    from tensorflow.keras import optimizers     
    from tensorflow.keras import regularizers           
    from tensorflow.keras.utils import to_categorical 
    
    
    
    # convert into dataset matrix
    def convertToMatrix(data, step):
     X, Y =[], []
     for i in range(len(data)-step):
      d=i+step  
      X.append(data[i:d,])
      Y.append(data[d,])
     return np.array(X), np.array(Y)
    
    step = 4
    N = 1000    
    Tp = 800    
    
    t=np.arange(0,N)
    x=np.sin(0.02*t)+2*np.random.rand(N)
    df = pd.DataFrame(x)
    df.head()
    
    plt.plot(df)
    plt.show()
    
    values=df.values
    train,test = values[0:Tp,:], values[Tp:N,:]
    
    # add step elements into train and test
    test = np.append(test,np.repeat(test[-1,],step))
    train = np.append(train,np.repeat(train[-1,],step))
     
    trainX,trainY =convertToMatrix(train,step)
    testX,testY =convertToMatrix(test,step)
    trainX = np.reshape(trainX, (trainX.shape[0], 1, trainX.shape[1]))
    testX = np.reshape(testX, (testX.shape[0], 1, testX.shape[1]))
    
    model = Sequential()
    model.add(SimpleRNN(units=32, input_shape=(1,step), activation="relu"))
    model.add(Dense(8, activation="relu")) 
    model.add(Dense(1))
    model.compile(loss='mean_squared_error', optimizer='rmsprop')
    model.summary()
    
    model.fit(trainX,trainY, epochs=100, batch_size=16, verbose=2)
    trainPredict = model.predict(trainX)
    testPredict= model.predict(testX)
    predicted=np.concatenate((trainPredict,testPredict),axis=0)
    
    trainScore = model.evaluate(trainX, trainY, verbose=0)
    print(trainScore)
    
    index = df.index.values
    plt.plot(index,df)
    plt.plot(index,predicted)
    plt.axvline(df.index[Tp], c="r")
    plt.show()
    











    An extrapolation example

    The following code provides an example of how recurrent neural networks can be used to extrapolate to unknown values of physics data sets. Specifically, the data sets used in this program come from a quantum mechanical many-body calculation of energies as functions of the number of particles.

    # For matrices and calculations
    import numpy as np
    # For machine learning (backend for keras)
    import tensorflow as tf
    # User-friendly machine learning library
    # Front end for TensorFlow
    import tensorflow.keras
    # Different methods from Keras needed to create an RNN
    # This is not necessary but it shortened function calls 
    # that need to be used in the code.
    from tensorflow.keras import datasets, layers, models
    from tensorflow.keras.layers import Input
    from tensorflow.keras import regularizers
    from tensorflow.keras.models import Model, Sequential
    from tensorflow.keras.layers import Dense, SimpleRNN, LSTM, GRU
    # For timing the code
    from timeit import default_timer as timer
    # For plotting
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
    
    
    # The data set
    datatype='VaryDimension'
    X_tot = np.arange(2, 42, 2)
    y_tot = np.array([-0.03077640549, -0.08336233266, -0.1446729567, -0.2116753732, -0.2830637392, -0.3581341341, -0.436462435, -0.5177783846,
    	-0.6019067271, -0.6887363571, -0.7782028952, -0.8702784034, -0.9649652536, -1.062292565, -1.16231451, 
    	-1.265109911, -1.370782966, -1.479465113, -1.591317992, -1.70653767])
    











    Formatting the Data

    The way the recurrent neural networks are trained in this program differs from how machine learning algorithms are usually trained. Typically a machine learning algorithm is trained by learning the relationship between the x data and the y data. In this program, the recurrent neural network will be trained to recognize the relationship in a sequence of y values. This is type of data formatting is typically used time series forcasting, but it can also be used in any extrapolation (time series forecasting is just a specific type of extrapolation along the time axis). This method of data formatting does not use the x data and assumes that the y data are evenly spaced.

    For a standard machine learning algorithm, the training data has the form of (x,y) so the machine learning algorithm learns to assiciate a y value with a given x value. This is useful when the test data has x values within the same range as the training data. However, for this application, the x values of the test data are outside of the x values of the training data and the traditional method of training a machine learning algorithm does not work as well. For this reason, the recurrent neural network is trained on sequences of y values of the form ((y1, y2), y3), so that the network is concerned with learning the pattern of the y data and not the relation between the x and y data. As long as the pattern of y data outside of the training region stays relatively stable compared to what was inside the training region, this method of training can produce accurate extrapolations to y values far removed from the training data set.

    # FORMAT_DATA
    def format_data(data, length_of_sequence = 2):  
        """
            Inputs:
                data(a numpy array): the data that will be the inputs to the recurrent neural
                    network
                length_of_sequence (an int): the number of elements in one iteration of the
                    sequence patter.  For a function approximator use length_of_sequence = 2.
            Returns:
                rnn_input (a 3D numpy array): the input data for the recurrent neural network.  Its
                    dimensions are length of data - length of sequence, length of sequence, 
                    dimnsion of data
                rnn_output (a numpy array): the training data for the neural network
            Formats data to be used in a recurrent neural network.
        """
    
        X, Y = [], []
        for i in range(len(data)-length_of_sequence):
            # Get the next length_of_sequence elements
            a = data[i:i+length_of_sequence]
            # Get the element that immediately follows that
            b = data[i+length_of_sequence]
            # Reshape so that each data point is contained in its own array
            a = np.reshape (a, (len(a), 1))
            X.append(a)
            Y.append(b)
        rnn_input = np.array(X)
        rnn_output = np.array(Y)
    
        return rnn_input, rnn_output
    
    
    # ## Defining the Recurrent Neural Network Using Keras
    # 
    # The following method defines a simple recurrent neural network in keras consisting of one input layer, one hidden layer, and one output layer.
    
    def rnn(length_of_sequences, batch_size = None, stateful = False):
        """
            Inputs:
                length_of_sequences (an int): the number of y values in "x data".  This is determined
                    when the data is formatted
                batch_size (an int): Default value is None.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
                stateful (a boolean): Default value is False.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
            Returns:
                model (a Keras model): The recurrent neural network that is built and compiled by this
                    method
            Builds and compiles a recurrent neural network with one hidden layer and returns the model.
        """
        # Number of neurons in the input and output layers
        in_out_neurons = 1
        # Number of neurons in the hidden layer
        hidden_neurons = 200
        # Define the input layer
        inp = Input(batch_shape=(batch_size, 
                    length_of_sequences, 
                    in_out_neurons))  
        # Define the hidden layer as a simple RNN layer with a set number of neurons and add it to 
        # the network immediately after the input layer
        rnn = SimpleRNN(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=False,
                        stateful = stateful,
                        name="RNN")(inp)
        # Define the output layer as a dense neural network layer (standard neural network layer)
        #and add it to the network immediately after the hidden layer.
        dens = Dense(in_out_neurons,name="dense")(rnn)
        # Create the machine learning model starting with the input layer and ending with the 
        # output layer
        model = Model(inputs=[inp],outputs=[dens])
        # Compile the machine learning model using the mean squared error function as the loss 
        # function and an Adams optimizer.
        model.compile(loss="mean_squared_error", optimizer="adam")  
        return model
    











    Predicting New Points With A Trained Recurrent Neural Network

    def test_rnn (x1, y_test, plot_min, plot_max):
        """
            Inputs:
                x1 (a list or numpy array): The complete x component of the data set
                y_test (a list or numpy array): The complete y component of the data set
                plot_min (an int or float): the smallest x value used in the training data
                plot_max (an int or float): the largest x valye used in the training data
            Returns:
                None.
            Uses a trained recurrent neural network model to predict future points in the 
            series.  Computes the MSE of the predicted data set from the true data set, saves
            the predicted data set to a csv file, and plots the predicted and true data sets w
            while also displaying the data range used for training.
        """
        # Add the training data as the first dim points in the predicted data array as these
        # are known values.
        y_pred = y_test[:dim].tolist()
        # Generate the first input to the trained recurrent neural network using the last two 
        # points of the training data.  Based on how the network was trained this means that it
        # will predict the first point in the data set after the training data.  All of the 
        # brackets are necessary for Tensorflow.
        next_input = np.array([[[y_test[dim-2]], [y_test[dim-1]]]])
        # Save the very last point in the training data set.  This will be used later.
        last = [y_test[dim-1]]
    
        # Iterate until the complete data set is created.
        for i in range (dim, len(y_test)):
            # Predict the next point in the data set using the previous two points.
            next = model.predict(next_input)
            # Append just the number of the predicted data set
            y_pred.append(next[0][0])
            # Create the input that will be used to predict the next data point in the data set.
            next_input = np.array([[last, next[0]]], dtype=np.float64)
            last = next
    
        # Print the mean squared error between the known data set and the predicted data set.
        print('MSE: ', np.square(np.subtract(y_test, y_pred)).mean())
        # Save the predicted data set as a csv file for later use
        name = datatype + 'Predicted'+str(dim)+'.csv'
        np.savetxt(name, y_pred, delimiter=',')
        # Plot the known data set and the predicted data set.  The red box represents the region that was used
        # for the training data.
        fig, ax = plt.subplots()
        ax.plot(x1, y_test, label="true", linewidth=3)
        ax.plot(x1, y_pred, 'g-.',label="predicted", linewidth=4)
        ax.legend()
        # Created a red region to represent the points used in the training data.
        ax.axvspan(plot_min, plot_max, alpha=0.25, color='red')
        plt.show()
    
    # Check to make sure the data set is complete
    assert len(X_tot) == len(y_tot)
    
    # This is the number of points that will be used in as the training data
    dim=12
    
    # Separate the training data from the whole data set
    X_train = X_tot[:dim]
    y_train = y_tot[:dim]
    
    
    # Generate the training data for the RNN, using a sequence of 2
    rnn_input, rnn_training = format_data(y_train, 2)
    
    
    # Create a recurrent neural network in Keras and produce a summary of the 
    # machine learning model
    model = rnn(length_of_sequences = rnn_input.shape[1])
    model.summary()
    
    # Start the timer.  Want to time training+testing
    start = timer()
    # Fit the model using the training data genenerated above using 150 training iterations and a 5%
    # validation split.  Setting verbose to True prints information about each training iteration.
    hist = model.fit(rnn_input, rnn_training, batch_size=None, epochs=150, 
                     verbose=True,validation_split=0.05)
    
    for label in ["loss","val_loss"]:
        plt.plot(hist.history[label],label=label)
    
    plt.ylabel("loss")
    plt.xlabel("epoch")
    plt.title("The final validation loss: {}".format(hist.history["val_loss"][-1]))
    plt.legend()
    plt.show()
    
    # Use the trained neural network to predict more points of the data set
    test_rnn(X_tot, y_tot, X_tot[0], X_tot[dim-1])
    # Stop the timer and calculate the total time needed.
    end = timer()
    print('Time: ', end-start)
    











    Other Things to Try

    Changing the size of the recurrent neural network and its parameters can drastically change the results you get from the model. The below code takes the simple recurrent neural network from above and adds a second hidden layer, changes the number of neurons in the hidden layer, and explicitly declares the activation function of the hidden layers to be a sigmoid function. The loss function and optimizer can also be changed but are kept the same as the above network. These parameters can be tuned to provide the optimal result from the network. For some ideas on how to improve the performance of a recurrent neural network.

    def rnn_2layers(length_of_sequences, batch_size = None, stateful = False):
        """
            Inputs:
                length_of_sequences (an int): the number of y values in "x data".  This is determined
                    when the data is formatted
                batch_size (an int): Default value is None.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
                stateful (a boolean): Default value is False.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
            Returns:
                model (a Keras model): The recurrent neural network that is built and compiled by this
                    method
            Builds and compiles a recurrent neural network with two hidden layers and returns the model.
        """
        # Number of neurons in the input and output layers
        in_out_neurons = 1
        # Number of neurons in the hidden layer, increased from the first network
        hidden_neurons = 500
        # Define the input layer
        inp = Input(batch_shape=(batch_size, 
                    length_of_sequences, 
                    in_out_neurons))  
        # Create two hidden layers instead of one hidden layer.  Explicitly set the activation
        # function to be the sigmoid function (the default value is hyperbolic tangent)
        rnn1 = SimpleRNN(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=True,  # This needs to be True if another hidden layer is to follow
                        stateful = stateful, activation = 'sigmoid',
                        name="RNN1")(inp)
        rnn2 = SimpleRNN(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=False, activation = 'sigmoid',
                        stateful = stateful,
                        name="RNN2")(rnn1)
        # Define the output layer as a dense neural network layer (standard neural network layer)
        #and add it to the network immediately after the hidden layer.
        dens = Dense(in_out_neurons,name="dense")(rnn2)
        # Create the machine learning model starting with the input layer and ending with the 
        # output layer
        model = Model(inputs=[inp],outputs=[dens])
        # Compile the machine learning model using the mean squared error function as the loss 
        # function and an Adams optimizer.
        model.compile(loss="mean_squared_error", optimizer="adam")  
        return model
    
    # Check to make sure the data set is complete
    assert len(X_tot) == len(y_tot)
    
    # This is the number of points that will be used in as the training data
    dim=12
    
    # Separate the training data from the whole data set
    X_train = X_tot[:dim]
    y_train = y_tot[:dim]
    
    
    # Generate the training data for the RNN, using a sequence of 2
    rnn_input, rnn_training = format_data(y_train, 2)
    
    
    # Create a recurrent neural network in Keras and produce a summary of the 
    # machine learning model
    model = rnn_2layers(length_of_sequences = 2)
    model.summary()
    
    # Start the timer.  Want to time training+testing
    start = timer()
    # Fit the model using the training data genenerated above using 150 training iterations and a 5%
    # validation split.  Setting verbose to True prints information about each training iteration.
    hist = model.fit(rnn_input, rnn_training, batch_size=None, epochs=150, 
                     verbose=True,validation_split=0.05)
    
    
    # This section plots the training loss and the validation loss as a function of training iteration.
    # This is not required for analyzing the couple cluster data but can help determine if the network is
    # being overtrained.
    for label in ["loss","val_loss"]:
        plt.plot(hist.history[label],label=label)
    
    plt.ylabel("loss")
    plt.xlabel("epoch")
    plt.title("The final validation loss: {}".format(hist.history["val_loss"][-1]))
    plt.legend()
    plt.show()
    
    # Use the trained neural network to predict more points of the data set
    test_rnn(X_tot, y_tot, X_tot[0], X_tot[dim-1])
    # Stop the timer and calculate the total time needed.
    end = timer()
    print('Time: ', end-start)
    











    Other Types of Recurrent Neural Networks

    Besides a simple recurrent neural network layer, there are two other commonly used types of recurrent neural network layers: Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). For a short introduction to these layers see https://medium.com/mindboard/lstm-vs-gru-experimental-comparison-955820c21e8b and https://medium.com/mindboard/lstm-vs-gru-experimental-comparison-955820c21e8b.

    The first network created below is similar to the previous network, but it replaces the SimpleRNN layers with LSTM layers. The second network below has two hidden layers made up of GRUs, which are preceeded by two dense (feeddorward) neural network layers. These dense layers "preprocess" the data before it reaches the recurrent layers. This architecture has been shown to improve the performance of recurrent neural networks (see the link above and also https://arxiv.org/pdf/1807.02857.pdf.

    def lstm_2layers(length_of_sequences, batch_size = None, stateful = False):
        """
            Inputs:
                length_of_sequences (an int): the number of y values in "x data".  This is determined
                    when the data is formatted
                batch_size (an int): Default value is None.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
                stateful (a boolean): Default value is False.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
            Returns:
                model (a Keras model): The recurrent neural network that is built and compiled by this
                    method
            Builds and compiles a recurrent neural network with two LSTM hidden layers and returns the model.
        """
        # Number of neurons on the input/output layer and the number of neurons in the hidden layer
        in_out_neurons = 1
        hidden_neurons = 250
        # Input Layer
        inp = Input(batch_shape=(batch_size, 
                    length_of_sequences, 
                    in_out_neurons)) 
        # Hidden layers (in this case they are LSTM layers instead if SimpleRNN layers)
        rnn= LSTM(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=True,
                        stateful = stateful,
                        name="RNN", use_bias=True, activation='tanh')(inp)
        rnn1 = LSTM(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=False,
                        stateful = stateful,
                        name="RNN1", use_bias=True, activation='tanh')(rnn)
        # Output layer
        dens = Dense(in_out_neurons,name="dense")(rnn1)
        # Define the midel
        model = Model(inputs=[inp],outputs=[dens])
        # Compile the model
        model.compile(loss='mean_squared_error', optimizer='adam')  
        # Return the model
        return model
    
    def dnn2_gru2(length_of_sequences, batch_size = None, stateful = False):
        """
            Inputs:
                length_of_sequences (an int): the number of y values in "x data".  This is determined
                    when the data is formatted
                batch_size (an int): Default value is None.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
                stateful (a boolean): Default value is False.  See Keras documentation of SimpleRNN.
            Returns:
                model (a Keras model): The recurrent neural network that is built and compiled by this
                    method
            Builds and compiles a recurrent neural network with four hidden layers (two dense followed by
            two GRU layers) and returns the model.
        """    
        # Number of neurons on the input/output layers and hidden layers
        in_out_neurons = 1
        hidden_neurons = 250
        # Input layer
        inp = Input(batch_shape=(batch_size, 
                    length_of_sequences, 
                    in_out_neurons)) 
        # Hidden Dense (feedforward) layers
        dnn = Dense(hidden_neurons/2, activation='relu', name='dnn')(inp)
        dnn1 = Dense(hidden_neurons/2, activation='relu', name='dnn1')(dnn)
        # Hidden GRU layers
        rnn1 = GRU(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=True,
                        stateful = stateful,
                        name="RNN1", use_bias=True)(dnn1)
        rnn = GRU(hidden_neurons, 
                        return_sequences=False,
                        stateful = stateful,
                        name="RNN", use_bias=True)(rnn1)
        # Output layer
        dens = Dense(in_out_neurons,name="dense")(rnn)
        # Define the model
        model = Model(inputs=[inp],outputs=[dens])
        # Compile the mdoel
        model.compile(loss='mean_squared_error', optimizer='adam')  
        # Return the model
        return model
    
    # Check to make sure the data set is complete
    assert len(X_tot) == len(y_tot)
    
    # This is the number of points that will be used in as the training data
    dim=12
    
    # Separate the training data from the whole data set
    X_train = X_tot[:dim]
    y_train = y_tot[:dim]
    
    
    # Generate the training data for the RNN, using a sequence of 2
    rnn_input, rnn_training = format_data(y_train, 2)
    
    
    # Create a recurrent neural network in Keras and produce a summary of the 
    # machine learning model
    # Change the method name to reflect which network you want to use
    model = dnn2_gru2(length_of_sequences = 2)
    model.summary()
    
    # Start the timer.  Want to time training+testing
    start = timer()
    # Fit the model using the training data genenerated above using 150 training iterations and a 5%
    # validation split.  Setting verbose to True prints information about each training iteration.
    hist = model.fit(rnn_input, rnn_training, batch_size=None, epochs=150, 
                     verbose=True,validation_split=0.05)
    
    
    # This section plots the training loss and the validation loss as a function of training iteration.
    # This is not required for analyzing the couple cluster data but can help determine if the network is
    # being overtrained.
    for label in ["loss","val_loss"]:
        plt.plot(hist.history[label],label=label)
    
    plt.ylabel("loss")
    plt.xlabel("epoch")
    plt.title("The final validation loss: {}".format(hist.history["val_loss"][-1]))
    plt.legend()
    plt.show()
    
    # Use the trained neural network to predict more points of the data set
    test_rnn(X_tot, y_tot, X_tot[0], X_tot[dim-1])
    # Stop the timer and calculate the total time needed.
    end = timer()
    print('Time: ', end-start)
    
    
    # ### Training Recurrent Neural Networks in the Standard Way (i.e. learning the relationship between the X and Y data)
    # 
    # Finally, comparing the performace of a recurrent neural network using the standard data formatting to the performance of the network with time sequence data formatting shows the benefit of this type of data formatting with extrapolation.
    
    # Check to make sure the data set is complete
    assert len(X_tot) == len(y_tot)
    
    # This is the number of points that will be used in as the training data
    dim=12
    
    # Separate the training data from the whole data set
    X_train = X_tot[:dim]
    y_train = y_tot[:dim]
    
    # Reshape the data for Keras specifications
    X_train = X_train.reshape((dim, 1))
    y_train = y_train.reshape((dim, 1))
    
    
    # Create a recurrent neural network in Keras and produce a summary of the 
    # machine learning model
    # Set the sequence length to 1 for regular data formatting 
    model = rnn(length_of_sequences = 1)
    model.summary()
    
    # Start the timer.  Want to time training+testing
    start = timer()
    # Fit the model using the training data genenerated above using 150 training iterations and a 5%
    # validation split.  Setting verbose to True prints information about each training iteration.
    hist = model.fit(X_train, y_train, batch_size=None, epochs=150, 
                     verbose=True,validation_split=0.05)
    
    
    # This section plots the training loss and the validation loss as a function of training iteration.
    # This is not required for analyzing the couple cluster data but can help determine if the network is
    # being overtrained.
    for label in ["loss","val_loss"]:
        plt.plot(hist.history[label],label=label)
    
    plt.ylabel("loss")
    plt.xlabel("epoch")
    plt.title("The final validation loss: {}".format(hist.history["val_loss"][-1]))
    plt.legend()
    plt.show()
    
    # Use the trained neural network to predict the remaining data points
    X_pred = X_tot[dim:]
    X_pred = X_pred.reshape((len(X_pred), 1))
    y_model = model.predict(X_pred)
    y_pred = np.concatenate((y_tot[:dim], y_model.flatten()))
    
    # Plot the known data set and the predicted data set.  The red box represents the region that was used
    # for the training data.
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
    ax.plot(X_tot, y_tot, label="true", linewidth=3)
    ax.plot(X_tot, y_pred, 'g-.',label="predicted", linewidth=4)
    ax.legend()
    # Created a red region to represent the points used in the training data.
    ax.axvspan(X_tot[0], X_tot[dim], alpha=0.25, color='red')
    plt.show()
    
    # Stop the timer and calculate the total time needed.
    end = timer()
    print('Time: ', end-start)
    

    © 1999-2021, Morten Hjorth-Jensen. Released under CC Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 license