Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for training a neural network to perform a machine learning task using a momentum and sign based optimizer.

Abstract: A method for receiving training data for training a neural network (NN) to perform a machine learning (ML) task and for determining, using the training data, an optimized NN architecture for performing the ML task is described. Determining the optimized NN architecture includes: maintaining population data comprising, for each candidate architecture in a population of candidate architectures, (i) data defining the candidate architecture, and (ii) data specifying how recently a neural network having the candidate architecture has been trained while determining the optimized neural network architecture; and repeatedly performing multiple operations using each of a plurality of worker computing units to generate a new candidate architecture based on a selected candidate architecture having the best measure of fitness, adding the new candidate architecture to the population, and removing from the population the candidate architecture that was trained least recently.

Abstract: A method for receiving training data for training a neural network (NN) to perform a machine learning (ML) task and for determining, using the training data, an optimized NN architecture for performing the ML task is described. Determining the optimized NN architecture includes: maintaining population data comprising, for each candidate architecture in a population of candidate architectures, (i) data defining the candidate architecture, and (ii) data specifying how recently a neural network having the candidate architecture has been trained while determining the optimized neural network architecture; and repeatedly performing multiple operations using each of a plurality of worker computing units to generate a new candidate architecture based on a selected candidate architecture having the best measure of fitness, adding the new candidate architecture to the population, and removing from the population the candidate architecture that was trained least recently.

Abstract: A method for searching for an output machine learning (ML) algorithm to perform an ML task is described. The method includes: receiving a set of training examples and a set of validation examples, and generating a sequence of candidate ML algorithms to perform the task. For each candidate ML algorithm in the sequence, the method includes: setting up one or more training parameters for the candidate ML algorithm by executing a respective candidate setup function, training the candidate ML algorithm by processing the set of training examples using a respective candidate predict function and a respective candidate learn function, and evaluating a performance of the trained candidate ML algorithm by executing the respective candidate predict function on the set of validation examples to determine a performance metric. The method includes selecting a trained candidate ML algorithm with the best performance metric as the output ML algorithm for the task.

Abstract: A method for receiving training data for training a neural network (NN) to perform a machine learning (ML) task and for determining, using the training data, an optimized NN architecture for performing the ML task is described. Determining the optimized NN architecture includes: maintaining population data comprising, for each candidate architecture in a population of candidate architectures, (i) data defining the candidate architecture, and (ii) data specifying how recently a neural network having the candidate architecture has been trained while determining the optimized neural network architecture; and repeatedly performing multiple operations using each of a plurality of worker computing units to generate a new candidate architecture based on a selected candidate architecture having the best measure of fitness, adding the new candidate architecture to the population, and removing from the population the candidate architecture that was trained least recently.

Abstract: A method for receiving training data for training a neural network (NN) to perform a machine learning (ML) task and for determining, using the training data, an optimized NN architecture for performing the ML task is described. Determining the optimized NN architecture includes: maintaining population data comprising, for each candidate architecture in a population of candidate architectures, (i) data defining the candidate architecture, and (ii) data specifying how recently a neural network having the candidate architecture has been trained while determining the optimized neural network architecture; and repeatedly performing multiple operations using each of a plurality of worker computing units to generate a new candidate architecture based on a selected candidate architecture having the best measure of fitness, adding the new candidate architecture to the population, and removing from the population the candidate architecture that was trained least recently.

Abstract: A method for receiving training data for training a neural network (NN) to perform a machine learning (ML) task and for determining, using the training data, an optimized NN architecture for performing the ML task is described. Determining the optimized NN architecture includes: maintaining population data comprising, for each candidate architecture in a population of candidate architectures, (i) data defining the candidate architecture, and (ii) data specifying how recently a neural network having the candidate architecture has been trained while determining the optimized neural network architecture; and repeatedly performing multiple operations using each of a plurality of worker computing units to generate a new candidate architecture based on a selected candidate architecture having the best measure of fitness, adding the new candidate architecture to the population, and removing from the population the candidate architecture that was trained least recently.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for optimizing neural network architectures. One of the methods includes receiving training data; determining, using the training data, an optimized neural network architecture for performing the machine learning task; and determining trained values of parameters of a neural network having the optimized neural network architecture.