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Exploring Sparse Data Structures for Faster Machine Learning(datasculptor.tech)

431 points by datasculptor 6 months ago flag hide 18 comments

ml_researcher 6 months ago next
This is a really interesting topic! I've been working with sparse data structures in ML and have seen some impressive speedups. Thanks for sharing this!
- datascienceguru 6 months ago next
  Absolutely, sparse data structures can make a huge difference when dealing with high-dimensional data in ML. Have you experimented with any specific data structures like sparse matrices or trees?
  ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Yes, I've used sparse matrices in libsvm and it definitely improved my model training speed. Another structure I've been exploring is the Hierarchical Navigable Small World (HNSW) graph, which can be used for efficientapproximate nearest neighbor search.
deeplearningexpert 6 months ago prev next
HNSW graphs are interesting! I wonder if they could also be applied to deep learning models, perhaps in the form of efficient sparse embeddings or attention mechanisms?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  That's an good idea. I'll have to explore that more and see if anyone else has tried similar approaches. I've also found that sparse embeddings using structures like random projection trees can be quite effective in reducing model training time.
algowhisperer 6 months ago prev next
Have you looked into using Quantized Neural Networks (QNNs) or binary neural networks as a way to reduce model size and speed up inference?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Yes, I've used Quantization Aware Training with QNNs for model compression and it's an effective method for speeding up inference. However, for this research, I'm focusing more on sparse data structures to optimize model training time during the learning phase.
ai_enthusiast 6 months ago prev next
What libraries or tools would you recommend for working with sparse data structures in ML?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  There are several libraries and tools you can use depending on your programming language and the specific sparse data structures you want to implement. For Python, scikit-learn, CuPy, and Numba have built-in support for sparse matrices and arrays. If you're using Julia, LightGBM has an efficient implementation for sparse decision trees. For R, the ranger package provides support for sparse data structures too.
optimizer_prime 6 months ago prev next
Awesome, thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to seeing your results and hopefully applying some of these techniques to my own projects.
bigdatahero 6 months ago prev next
If you want to explore even more advanced sparse data structures, have a look at hierarchical matrix formats like HODLR, HSS, and BTTB, which can further reduce the computational complexity of matrix operations for grid-based problems inML and scientific computing.
mathnerd 6 months ago prev next
Thank you, I wasn't aware of those formats. There's also the sparse gird graphs in the GraphBLAS library, which is implemented in C and has support for matrix operations using sparse graph structures. It can be a bit tricky to set up, but it's very efficient and extensible.
- bigdatahero 6 months ago next
  That's true, GraphBLAS is quite powerful and can be very efficient for large-scale sparse data analysis and ML problems. However, for more specific ML applications, the sparse tensor libraries in TensorFlow or PyTorch can be more convenient and easier to set up, depending on your preferred framework.
codemonkey 6 months ago prev next
In terms of ML algorithms that natively support sparse data structures, have there been any notable advancements?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Yes, there have been advancements in many areas of ML. Sparse-aware Neural Networks (SANNs), which integrate sparse data structures directly into the network architecture, have shown promise for improving model speed and resource efficiency. There's also been research in sparse versions of popular ML algorithms, such as k-Nearest Neighbors, Linear and Logistic Regression, and Decision Trees.
  ml_fan 6 months ago next
  That's really cool, I'm excited to see how SANNs can help optimize ML models for sparse data. I'll be sure to follow your research for updates and references.
opensourcelover 6 months ago prev next
Are there any open-source projects or repositories for sparse ML research and experiments that you'd recommend checking out?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Absolutely! I recommend looking at the following repositories: \n1. sparseml/sparse-learn: A library for training neural networks with custom sparsity patterns and sparse-aware optimizations. \n2. Xtra-Computing/xtra-trees: A library for scalable sparse decision tree algorithms. \n3. eagercon/sparse-rnn: A repository containing implementation of sparse recurrent neural networks with efficient training and testing. \n4. meiyao-10/SGDL: A sparse optimization toolbox for large-scale machine learning. Obtains both theoretical convergence guarantees and great experimental performance.

ml_researcher 6 months ago next
This is a really interesting topic! I've been working with sparse data structures in ML and have seen some impressive speedups. Thanks for sharing this!
- datascienceguru 6 months ago next
  Absolutely, sparse data structures can make a huge difference when dealing with high-dimensional data in ML. Have you experimented with any specific data structures like sparse matrices or trees?
  ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Yes, I've used sparse matrices in libsvm and it definitely improved my model training speed. Another structure I've been exploring is the Hierarchical Navigable Small World (HNSW) graph, which can be used for efficientapproximate nearest neighbor search.
deeplearningexpert 6 months ago prev next
HNSW graphs are interesting! I wonder if they could also be applied to deep learning models, perhaps in the form of efficient sparse embeddings or attention mechanisms?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  That's an good idea. I'll have to explore that more and see if anyone else has tried similar approaches. I've also found that sparse embeddings using structures like random projection trees can be quite effective in reducing model training time.
algowhisperer 6 months ago prev next
Have you looked into using Quantized Neural Networks (QNNs) or binary neural networks as a way to reduce model size and speed up inference?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Yes, I've used Quantization Aware Training with QNNs for model compression and it's an effective method for speeding up inference. However, for this research, I'm focusing more on sparse data structures to optimize model training time during the learning phase.
ai_enthusiast 6 months ago prev next
What libraries or tools would you recommend for working with sparse data structures in ML?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  There are several libraries and tools you can use depending on your programming language and the specific sparse data structures you want to implement. For Python, scikit-learn, CuPy, and Numba have built-in support for sparse matrices and arrays. If you're using Julia, LightGBM has an efficient implementation for sparse decision trees. For R, the ranger package provides support for sparse data structures too.
optimizer_prime 6 months ago prev next
Awesome, thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to seeing your results and hopefully applying some of these techniques to my own projects.
bigdatahero 6 months ago prev next
If you want to explore even more advanced sparse data structures, have a look at hierarchical matrix formats like HODLR, HSS, and BTTB, which can further reduce the computational complexity of matrix operations for grid-based problems inML and scientific computing.
mathnerd 6 months ago prev next
Thank you, I wasn't aware of those formats. There's also the sparse gird graphs in the GraphBLAS library, which is implemented in C and has support for matrix operations using sparse graph structures. It can be a bit tricky to set up, but it's very efficient and extensible.
- bigdatahero 6 months ago next
  That's true, GraphBLAS is quite powerful and can be very efficient for large-scale sparse data analysis and ML problems. However, for more specific ML applications, the sparse tensor libraries in TensorFlow or PyTorch can be more convenient and easier to set up, depending on your preferred framework.
codemonkey 6 months ago prev next
In terms of ML algorithms that natively support sparse data structures, have there been any notable advancements?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Yes, there have been advancements in many areas of ML. Sparse-aware Neural Networks (SANNs), which integrate sparse data structures directly into the network architecture, have shown promise for improving model speed and resource efficiency. There's also been research in sparse versions of popular ML algorithms, such as k-Nearest Neighbors, Linear and Logistic Regression, and Decision Trees.
  ml_fan 6 months ago next
  That's really cool, I'm excited to see how SANNs can help optimize ML models for sparse data. I'll be sure to follow your research for updates and references.
opensourcelover 6 months ago prev next
Are there any open-source projects or repositories for sparse ML research and experiments that you'd recommend checking out?
- ml_researcher 6 months ago next
  Absolutely! I recommend looking at the following repositories: \n1. sparseml/sparse-learn: A library for training neural networks with custom sparsity patterns and sparse-aware optimizations. \n2. Xtra-Computing/xtra-trees: A library for scalable sparse decision tree algorithms. \n3. eagercon/sparse-rnn: A repository containing implementation of sparse recurrent neural networks with efficient training and testing. \n4. meiyao-10/SGDL: A sparse optimization toolbox for large-scale machine learning. Obtains both theoretical convergence guarantees and great experimental performance.