Neural Developmental Programs (NDPs)
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Paper summary
Proposes neural networks that self-assemble through a developmental process inspired by biological embryonic development.
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01
Bio-inspired growth: A small set of developmental rules governs how neurons replicate and connect, mirroring the way biological nervous systems grow from genomes.
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Indirect encoding: The final network emerges from a much smaller developmental program rather than being specified directly - an indirect encoding scheme.
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Self-assembly: Networks self-assemble through repeated application of local developmental rules, without a global blueprint.
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Research direction: Positioned as a step toward more open-ended, flexible neural architectures that could eventually grow and adapt throughout training rather than being fixed a priori.