The Open Cybernetics & Systemics Journal

2010, 4 : 6-13
Published online 2010 March 2. DOI: 10.2174/1874110X01004010006
Publisher ID: TOCSJ-4-6

Complexity Constraints and Error Tolerance in Learning Processes on Small Graphs

H. Atmanspacher , T. Filk , R. Finke and G. Gruber
Theory Division of the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology, Wilhelmstr. 3a, D--79098 Freiburg, Germany.

ABSTRACT

Continuing previous studies, we present further results about the behavior of small abstract networks during supervised learning. In particular, we show that constraints on the complexity that a network is permitted to assume during learning reduces its learning success in ways that depend on the nature of the applied limitation. Moreover, we show that relaxing the criterion due to which changes of the network structure are accepted during learning leads to a dramatic improvement of the learning performance. The non-monotonicity of network complexity during learning, which remains unchanged in both scenarios, is related to a similar feature in -machine complexity.