Pairwise coupling of convolutional neural networks for better explicability of classification systems

TL;DR

This paper explores pairwise coupling of neural networks to enhance explicability in classification, focusing on accuracy, development, stochasticity, and confidence, comparing two coupling methods with implications for interpretability.

Contribution

It introduces and evaluates pairwise coupling methods, especially the Bayes covariant approach, for improving explicability and confidence in neural network classifiers.

Findings

Bayes covariant method yields higher accuracy.

Pairwise coupling enhances explicability beyond accuracy.

The approach increases parameters but offers better confidence predictions.

Abstract

We examine several aspects of explicability of a classification system built from neural networks. The first aspect is the pairwise explicability, which is the ability to provide the most accurate prediction when the range of possibilities is narrowed to just two. Next we consider explicability in development, which means ability to make incremental improvement in prediction accuracy based on observed deficiency of the system. Inherent stochasticity of neural network based classifiers can be interpreted using likelihood randomness explicability. Finally, sureness explicability indicates confidence of the classifying system to make any prediction at all. These concepts are examined in the framework of pairwise coupling, which is a non-trainable metamodel that originated during development of support vector machines. Several methodologies are evaluated, of which the key one is shown to be the choice of the pairwise coupling method. We compare two methods: the established Wu-Lin-Weng method with the recently proposed Bayes covariant method. Our experiments indicate that the Wu-Lin-Weng method gives more weight to a single pairwise classifier, whereas the latter tries to balance information from the whole matrix of pairwise likelihoods. This translates into higher accuracy, and better sureness predictions for the Bayes covariant method. Pairwise coupling methodology has its costs, especially in terms of the number of parameters (but not necessarily in terms of training costs). However, when additional explicability aspects beyond accuracy are desired in an application, the pairwise coupling models are a promising alternative to the established methodology.