# Activation function cyclically switchable convolutional neural network model

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new CNN model that dynamically switches activation functions during training to improve performance.

## Contribution

The novel AFCS-CNN model structure cyclically switches activation functions during training for better adaptability and performance.

## Key findings

- AFCS-CNN achieved state-of-the-art results across multiple CNN models and datasets.
- Ablation studies identified optimal hyperparameters and model configurations for the proposed structure.
- The model structure is simple yet effective for various CNN applications.

## Abstract

Neural networks are a state-of-the-art approach that performs well for many tasks. The activation function (AF) is an important hyperparameter that creates an output against the coming inputs to the neural network model. AF significantly affects the training and performance of the neural network model. Therefore, selecting the most optimal AF for processing input data in neural networks is important. Determining the optimal AF is often a difficult task. To overcome this difficulty, studies on trainable AFs have been carried out in the literature in recent years. This study presents a different approach apart from fixed or trainable AF approaches. For this purpose, the activation function cyclically switchable convolutional neural network (AFCS-CNN) model structure is proposed. The AFCS-CNN model structure does not use a fixed AF value during training. It is designed in a self-regulating model structure by switching the AF during model training. The proposed model structure is based on the logic of starting training with the most optimal AF selection among many AFs and cyclically selecting the next most optimal AF depending on the performance decrease during neural network training. Any convolutional neural network (CNN) model can be easily used in the proposed model structure. In this way, a simple but effective perspective has been presented. In this study, first, ablation studies have been carried out using the Cifar-10 dataset to determine the CNN models to be used in the AFCS-CNN model structure and the specific hyperparameters of the proposed model structure. After the models and hyperparameters were determined, expansion experiments were carried out using different datasets with the proposed model structure. The results showed that the AFCS-CNN model structure achieved state-of-the-art success in many CNN models and different datasets.