Combining Neuro-Evolution of Augmenting Topologies with Convolutional Neural Networks

Abstract: Current deep convolutional networks are fixed in their topology. We explore the possibilites of making the convolutional topology a parameter itself by combining NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (NEAT) with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and propose such a system using blocks of Residual Networks (ResNets). We then explain how our suggested system can only be built once additional optimizations have been made, as genetic algorithms are way more demanding than training per backpropagation. On the way there we explain most of those buzzwords and offer a gentle and brief introduction to the most important modern areas of machine learning