Efficient Neural Architecture Search (ENAS) is an innovative approach to automatically design optimal neural network architectures for various tasks, reducing the need for human expertise and speeding up the model development process.
ENAS is a type of Neural Architecture Search (NAS) method that aims to find the best neural network architecture by searching for an optimal subgraph within a larger computational graph. This is achieved by training a controller to select a subgraph that maximizes the expected reward on the validation set. Thanks to parameter sharing between child models, ENAS is significantly faster and less computationally expensive than traditional NAS methods.
Recent research has explored the effectiveness of ENAS in various applications, such as natural language processing, computer vision, and medical imaging. For instance, ENAS has been applied to sentence-pair tasks like paraphrase detection and semantic textual similarity, as well as breast cancer recognition from ultrasound images. However, the performance of ENAS can be inconsistent, sometimes outperforming traditional methods and other times performing similarly to random architecture search.
One challenge in the field of ENAS is ensuring the robustness of the algorithm against poisoning attacks, where adversaries introduce ineffective operations into the search space to degrade the performance of the resulting models. Researchers have demonstrated that ENAS can be vulnerable to such attacks, leading to inflated prediction error rates on tasks like image classification.
Despite these challenges, ENAS has shown promise in automating the design of neural network architectures and reducing the reliance on human expertise. As research continues to advance, ENAS and other NAS methods have the potential to revolutionize the way we develop and deploy machine learning models across various domains.

Efficient Neural Architecture Search (ENAS)
Efficient Neural Architecture Search (ENAS) Further Reading
1.Evaluating the Effectiveness of Efficient Neural Architecture Search for Sentence-Pair Tasks http://arxiv.org/abs/2010.04249v1 Ansel MacLaughlin, Jwala Dhamala, Anoop Kumar, Sriram Venkatapathy, Ragav Venkatesan, Rahul Gupta2.Efficient Neural Architecture Search via Parameter Sharing http://arxiv.org/abs/1802.03268v2 Hieu Pham, Melody Y. Guan, Barret Zoph, Quoc V. Le, Jeff Dean3.Analysis of Expected Hitting Time for Designing Evolutionary Neural Architecture Search Algorithms http://arxiv.org/abs/2210.05397v1 Zeqiong Lv, Chao Qian, Gary G. Yen, Yanan Sun4.A Study of the Learning Progress in Neural Architecture Search Techniques http://arxiv.org/abs/1906.07590v1 Prabhant Singh, Tobias Jacobs, Sebastien Nicolas, Mischa Schmidt5.Towards One Shot Search Space Poisoning in Neural Architecture Search http://arxiv.org/abs/2111.07138v1 Nayan Saxena, Robert Wu, Rohan Jain6.Sampled Training and Node Inheritance for Fast Evolutionary Neural Architecture Search http://arxiv.org/abs/2003.11613v1 Haoyu Zhang, Yaochu Jin, Ran Cheng, Kuangrong Hao7.Understanding Neural Architecture Search Techniques http://arxiv.org/abs/1904.00438v2 George Adam, Jonathan Lorraine8.BenchENAS: A Benchmarking Platform for Evolutionary Neural Architecture Search http://arxiv.org/abs/2108.03856v2 Xiangning Xie, Yuqiao Liu, Yanan Sun, Gary G. Yen, Bing Xue, Mengjie Zhang9.An ENAS Based Approach for Constructing Deep Learning Models for Breast Cancer Recognition from Ultrasound Images http://arxiv.org/abs/2005.13695v1 Mohammed Ahmed, Hongbo Du, Alaa AlZoubi10.Poisoning the Search Space in Neural Architecture Search http://arxiv.org/abs/2106.14406v1 Robert Wu, Nayan Saxena, Rohan JainEfficient Neural Architecture Search (ENAS) Frequently Asked Questions
What is efficient neural architecture search?
Efficient Neural Architecture Search (ENAS) is an approach to automatically design optimal neural network architectures for various tasks. It is a type of Neural Architecture Search (NAS) method that aims to find the best neural network architecture by searching for an optimal subgraph within a larger computational graph. ENAS is faster and less computationally expensive than traditional NAS methods due to parameter sharing between child models.
What are the search methods for neural architecture?
There are several search methods for neural architecture, including: 1. Random search: randomly sampling architectures from a predefined search space. 2. Evolutionary algorithms: using genetic algorithms to evolve architectures over generations. 3. Reinforcement learning: training a controller to select architectures that maximize the expected reward on a validation set. 4. Gradient-based optimization: using gradient information to optimize the architecture directly. 5. Bayesian optimization: using probabilistic models to guide the search for optimal architectures.
Is neural architecture search meta-learning?
Yes, neural architecture search can be considered a form of meta-learning. Meta-learning, also known as 'learning to learn,' involves training a model to learn how to perform well on a variety of tasks. In the case of NAS, the goal is to learn how to design optimal neural network architectures for different tasks, effectively learning the best way to learn from data.
Why is neural architecture search important?
Neural architecture search is important because it automates the process of designing neural network architectures, reducing the need for human expertise and speeding up the model development process. This can lead to more efficient and accurate models, as well as democratizing access to state-of-the-art machine learning techniques.
How does ENAS differ from traditional NAS methods?
ENAS differs from traditional NAS methods in that it focuses on finding an optimal subgraph within a larger computational graph, rather than searching the entire architecture space. This is achieved by training a controller to select a subgraph that maximizes the expected reward on the validation set. Parameter sharing between child models makes ENAS significantly faster and less computationally expensive than traditional NAS methods.
What are some applications of ENAS?
ENAS has been applied to various applications, such as natural language processing, computer vision, and medical imaging. Examples include sentence-pair tasks like paraphrase detection and semantic textual similarity, as well as breast cancer recognition from ultrasound images.
What are the challenges in the field of ENAS?
One challenge in the field of ENAS is ensuring the robustness of the algorithm against poisoning attacks, where adversaries introduce ineffective operations into the search space to degrade the performance of the resulting models. Researchers have demonstrated that ENAS can be vulnerable to such attacks, leading to inflated prediction error rates on tasks like image classification. Another challenge is the inconsistent performance of ENAS, sometimes outperforming traditional methods and other times performing similarly to random architecture search.
How can ENAS revolutionize machine learning model development?
As research continues to advance, ENAS and other NAS methods have the potential to revolutionize the way we develop and deploy machine learning models across various domains. By automating the design of neural network architectures and reducing the reliance on human expertise, ENAS can lead to more efficient and accurate models, as well as democratizing access to state-of-the-art machine learning techniques.
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