README.md

ClaudioFlow

ClaudioFlow is a didactic full-featured Deep Learning framework implemented only using NumPy, with a focus on simplicity and code readability (rather than performance).

Most modules in the code link to a web resource or to pages of the Deep Learning Book by Goodfellow et al. that explains the theory behind them.

ClaudioFlow architecture draws a lot of inspiration from Torch 7's clean approach, as well as Keras interfaces.

Example usage

model = SequentialModel([
    LinearLayer(2, 5),
    TanhLayer(),
    LinearLayer(5, 1),
    TanhLayer(),
])

Defining new layers

Similarly to Torch, you just need to implement a forward() and a backward() function, and you get a functioning layer.

class MyNewLayer:
    def forward(self, x):
        self.x = x
        return x**2
    def backward(self, delta):
        return delta * 2 * self.x
        
model = SequentialModel([
   LinearLayer(2, 5),
   MyNewLayer(),
])
 
model.learn(...)

Why

The only good way to understand modern neural network is to try to implement one from scratch. After that you can use TensorFlow.

Implementend features

• Minibatch learning with train/validation/test sets and "patience"
• Tests with numerical gradient checks
• Softmax Negative Log Likelihood (Cross Entropy)
• Working examples like Multi-layer Perceptron for Mnist classification
• SGD Momentum / AdaGrad / RMSProp
• Sigmoid / Relu / Tanh and more common activation functions

Work in progress

• Recurrent Networks
• LSTM
• Convolutions
• Reinforcement learning

Will never have

• Automatic differentiation: Theano is perfect if you need that in python.