Abstract: A method for quantization learning by a model quantizer that is operating in a computer system and compressing a transformer model. The method may include generating a student model through quantization of the transformer model, performing a first quantization learning by inserting a self-attention map of a teacher model into a self-attention map of the student model, and performing a second quantization learning using a knowledge distillation method so that the self-attention map of the student model follows the self-attention map of the teacher model.

Abstract: An apparatus and method with neural network operation are provided. A computing apparatus includes one or more processors, storage hardware storing instructions configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: extract calibration data from training data that is for training a main neural network, based on the calibration data, generate a look up table (LUT) for performing a non-linear function of the main neural network through an auxiliary network corresponding to a layer of the main neural network, and update a parameter of the LUT based on an output of the non-linear function and based on an output of the auxiliary network.

Abstract: A neural network operation apparatus may include a receiver configured to receive input data to perform the neural network operation and a quantized Look Up Table (LUT) corresponding to a non-linear function comprised in the neural network operation, and a processor configured to perform scale-up on the input data based on a scale factor, to extract a quantized LUT parameter from the quantized LUT based on scaled-up input data, and to generate an operation result by performing a neural network operation based on the quantized LUT parameter.

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided reusing an operand in an instruction set architecture (ISA) by one or more processors in a computing system. An instruction may specify that an operand register for a selected operand retain operand data used by a previous instruction. The operand data in the operand register may be reused by the instruction.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes configuring a specialized circuit for floating point computations using numbers represented by a hybrid format, wherein the hybrid format includes a first format and a second format. In the embodiment, the method includes operating the further configured specialized circuit to store an approximation of a numeric value in the first format during a forward pass for training a deep learning network. In the embodiment, the method includes operating the further configured specialized circuit to store an approximation of a second numeric value in the second format during a backward pass for training the deep learning network.

Abstract: A neuromorphic device includes a plurality of first control lines, a plurality of second control lines and a matrix of resistive processing unit cells. Each resistive processing unit cell is electrically connected with one of the first control lines and one of the second control lines. A given resistive processing unit cell includes a first resistive device and a second resistive device. The first resistive device is a positively weighted resistive device and the second resistive device is a negatively weighted resistive device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor includes first and second sets of arithmetic units having first and second precision for floating-point computations, the second precision being lower than the first precision. The processor is configured to obtain a machine learning model trained in the first precision, to utilize the second set of arithmetic units to perform inference on input data, to utilize the first set of arithmetic units to generate feedback for updating parameters of the second set of arithmetic units based on the inference performed on the input data by the second set of arithmetic units, to tune parameters of the second set of arithmetic units based at least in part on the feedback generated by the first set of arithmetic units, and to utilize the second set of arithmetic units with the tuned parameters to generate inference results.

Abstract: Techniques for statistics-aware weight quantization are presented. To facilitate reducing the bit precision of weights, for a set of weights, a quantizer management component can estimate a quantization scale value to apply to a weight as a linear or non-linear function of the mean of a square of a weight value of the weight and the mean of an absolute value of the weight value, wherein the quantization scale value is determined to have a smaller quantization error than all, or at least almost all, other quantization errors associated with other quantization scale values. A quantizer component applies the quantization scale value to symmetrically and/or uniformly quantize weights of a layer of the set of weights to generate quantized weights, the weights being quantized using rounding. The respective quantized weights can be used to facilitate training and inference of a deep learning system.

Abstract: A convolutional neural network includes a front layer, a back layer, and a plurality of other layers that are connected between the front layer and the back layer. One of the other layers is a transition layer. A first precision is assigned to activations of neurons from the front layer back to the transition layer and a second precision is assigned to activations of the neurons from the transition layer back to the back layer. A third precision is assigned to weights of inputs to neurons from the front layer back to the transition layer and a fourth precision is assigned to weights of inputs to the neurons from the transition layer back to the back layer. In some embodiments the layers forward of the transition layer have a different convolutional kernel than the layers rearward of the transition layer.

Abstract: A minibatch in a neural network execution may be dynamically resized based on on-chip memory. For example, a size of the minibatch is configured such that the minibatch fits within on-chip memory. The size of the minibatch may be resized for a sequence of layers in the neural network execution. A next layer's execution can commence responsive to the resized minibatch being completed in a previous layer without having to wait for all of the minibatch to be completed in the previous layer.

Abstract: A reduced precision based programmable and single instruction multiple data (SIMD) dataflow architecture includes reduced precision execution units with a majority of the execution units operating at reduced precision and a minority of the execution units are capable of operating at higher precision. The execution units operate in parallel within a programmable execution element to share instruction fetch, decode, and issue pipelines and operate on the same instruction in lock-step to minimize instruction-related overhead.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-implemented method for adaptive residual gradient compression for training of a deep learning neural network (DNN). The method includes obtaining, by a first learner, a current gradient vector for a neural network layer of the DNN, in which the current gradient vector includes gradient weights of parameters of the neural network layer that are calculated from a mini-batch of training data. A current residue vector is generated that includes residual gradient weights for the mini-batch. A compressed current residue vector is generated based on dividing the residual gradient weights of the current residue vector into a plurality of bins of a uniform size and quantizing a subset of the residual gradient weights of one or more bins of the plurality of bins. The compressed current residue vector is then transmitted to a second learner of the plurality of learners or to a parameter server.

Abstract: Techniques that facilitate improving an efficiency of a neural network are described. In one embodiment, a system is provided that comprises a memory that stores computer-executable components and a processor that executes computer-executable components stored in the memory. In one implementation, the computer-executable components comprise an initialization component that selects an initial value of an output limit, wherein the output limit indicates a range for an output of an activation function of a neural network. The computer-executable components further comprise a training component that modifies the initial value of the output limit during training to a second value of the output limit, the second value of the output limit being provided as a parameter to the activation function. The computer-executable components further comprise an activation function component that determines the output of the activation function based on the second value of the output limit as the parameter.

Abstract: A Deep Neural Networks (DNN) analysis method, system, and computer program product include characterizing a space of possible configurations for a DNN, evaluating a metric-of-interest for a configuration of the possible configurations, and searching the space to identify a configuration of the possible configurations that maximizes the metric-of-interest.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a computer system that manages execution of one or more programs with one or more loops where each loop having a loop level. Embodiments that manage loops that can skip execution and the number of loops changing during execution are also disclosed. A loop level register (LLEV) stores the loop level for a currently executing loop. A Loop-Back Program Counter Register (LBPR) has a table of one or more Loop-Back Registers. Each Loop-Back Register stores the loop level for a LBPR respective loop and a loop back PC location for the LBPR respective loop. A Program Counter points back to the PC location for each iteration of the loop. A Loop Current Count Register table (LCCR) tracks a number of iterations remaining to executed for of the loop. A loop management process causes one of the CPUs to execute all the one or more instructions of an iteration of the currently executing program loop.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes configuring a specialized circuit for floating point computations using numbers represented by a hybrid format, wherein the hybrid format includes a first format and a second format. In the embodiment, the method includes operating the further configured specialized circuit to store an approximation of a numeric value in the first format during a forward pass for training a deep learning network. In the embodiment, the method includes operating the further configured specialized circuit to store an approximation of a second numeric value in the second format during a backward pass for training the deep learning network.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes configuring a specialized circuit for floating point computations using numbers represented by a hybrid format, wherein the hybrid format includes a first format and a second format. In the embodiment, the method includes operating the further configured specialized circuit to store an approximation of a numeric value in the first format during a forward pass for training a deep learning network. In the embodiment, the method includes operating the further configured specialized circuit to store an approximation of a second numeric value in the second format during a backward pass for training the deep learning network.

Abstract: An apparatus includes circuitry for a neural network that is configured to perform forward propagation neural network operations on floating point numbers having a first n-bit floating point format. The first n-bit floating point format has a configuration consisting of a sign bit, m exponent bits and p mantissa bits where m is greater than p. The circuitry is further configured to perform backward propagation neural network operations on floating point numbers having a second n-bit floating point format that is different than the first n-bit floating point format. The second n-bit floating point format has a configuration consisting of a sign bit, q exponent bits and r mantissa bits where q is greater than m and r is less than p.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor includes first and second sets of arithmetic units having first and second precision for floating-point computations, the second precision being lower than the first precision. The processor is configured to obtain a machine learning model trained in the first precision, to utilize the second set of arithmetic units to perform inference on input data, to utilize the first set of arithmetic units to generate feedback for updating parameters of the second set of arithmetic units based on the inference performed on the input data by the second set of arithmetic units, to tune parameters of the second set of arithmetic units based at least in part on the feedback generated by the first set of arithmetic units, and to utilize the second set of arithmetic units with the tuned parameters to generate inference results.

Abstract: A neuromorphic device includes a plurality of first control lines, a plurality of second control lines and a matrix of resistive processing unit cells. Each resistive processing unit cell is electrically connected with one of the first control lines and one of the second control lines. A given resistive processing unit cell includes a first resistive device and a second resistive device. The first resistive device is a positively weighted resistive device and the second resistive device is a negatively weighted resistive device.