Part of Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 18 (NIPS 2005)
Ricky Der, Daniel Lee
A general analysis of the limiting distribution of neural network functions is performed, with emphasis on non-Gaussian limits. We show that with i.i.d. symmetric stable output weights, and more generally with weights distributed from the normal domain of attraction of a stable variable, that the neural functions converge in distribution to stable processes. Conditions are also investigated under which Gaussian limits do occur when the weights are independent but not identically distributed. Some particularly tractable classes of stable distributions are examined, and the possibility of learning with such processes.