Neuro-symbolic Learning Yielding Logical Constraints

Neuro-symbolic systems combine the abilities of neural perception and logical reasoning. However, end-to-end learning of neuro-symbolic systems is still an unsolved challenge. This paper proposes a natural framework that fuses neural network training, symbol grounding, and logical constraint synthesis into a coherent and efficient end-to-end learning process. The capability of this framework comes from the improved interactions between the neural and the symbolic parts of the system in both the training and inference stages. Technically, to bridge the gap between the continuous neural network and the discrete logical constraint, we introduce a difference-of-convex programming technique to relax the logical constraints while maintaining their precision. We also employ cardinality constraints as the language for logical constraint learning and incorporate a trust region method to avoid the degeneracy of logical constraint in learning. Both theoretical analyses and empirical evaluations substantiate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

LASER: Script Execution by Autonomous Agents for On-demand Traffic Simulation

Autonomous Driving Systems (ADS) require diverse and safety-critical traffic scenarios for effective training and testing, but the existing data generation methods struggle to provide flexibility and scalability. We propose LASER, a novel frame-work that leverage large language models (LLMs) to conduct traffic simulations based on natural language inputs. The framework operates in two stages: it first generates scripts from user-provided descriptions and then executes them using autonomous agents in real time. Validated in the CARLA simulator, LASER successfully generates complex, on-demand driving scenarios, significantly improving ADS training and testing data generation.

Learning with Logical Constraints but without Shortcut Satisfaction

Recent studies in neuro-symbolic learning have explored the integration of logical knowledge into deep learning via encoding logical constraints as an additional loss function. However, existing approaches tend to vacuously satisfy logical constraints through shortcuts, failing to fully exploit the knowledge. In this paper, we present a new framework for learning with logical constraints. Specifically, we address the shortcut satisfaction issue by introducing dual variables for logical connectives, encoding how the constraint is satisfied. We further propose a variational framework where the encoded logical constraint is expressed as a distributional loss that is compatible with the model's original training loss. The theoretical analysis shows that the proposed approach bears salient properties, and the experimental evaluations demonstrate its superior performance in both model generalizability and constraint satisfaction.

Softened Symbol Grounding for Neuro-symbolic Systems

Neuro-symbolic learning generally consists of two separated worlds, i.e., neural network training and symbolic constraint solving, whose success hinges on symbol grounding, a fundamental problem in AI. This paper presents a novel, softened symbol grounding process, bridging the gap between the two worlds, and resulting in an effective and efficient neuro-symbolic learning framework. Technically, the framework features (1) modeling of symbol solution states as a Boltzmann distribution, which avoids expensive state searching and facilitates mutually beneficial interactions between network training and symbolic reasoning;(2) a new MCMC technique leveraging projection and SMT solvers, which efficiently samples from disconnected symbol solution spaces; (3) an annealing mechanism that can escape from %being trapped into sub-optimal symbol groundings. Experiments with three representative neuro symbolic learning tasks demonstrate that, owining to its superior symbol grounding capability, our framework successfully solves problems well beyond the frontier of the existing proposals.

Advancing Transformer Architecture in Long-Context Large Language Models: A Comprehensive Survey

With the bomb ignited by ChatGPT, Transformer-based Large Language Models (LLMs) have paved a revolutionary path toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and have been applied in diverse areas as knowledge bases, human interfaces, and dynamic agents. However, a prevailing limitation exists: many current LLMs, constrained by resources, are primarily pre-trained on shorter texts, rendering them less effective for longer-context prompts, commonly encountered in real-world settings. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey focusing on the advancement of model architecture in Transformer-based LLMs to optimize long-context capabilities across all stages from pre-training to inference. We firstly delineate and analyze the problems of handling long-context input and output with the current Transformer-based models. Then, we mainly offer a holistic taxonomy to navigate the landscape of Transformer upgrades on architecture to solve these problems. Afterward, we provide the investigation on wildly used evaluation necessities tailored for long-context LLMs, including datasets, metrics, and baseline models, as well as some amazing optimization toolkits like libraries, systems, and compilers to augment LLMs' efficiency and efficacy across different stages. Finally, we further discuss the predominant challenges and potential avenues for future research in this domain. Additionally, we have established a repository where we curate relevant literature with real-time updates at https://github.com/Strivin0311/long-llms-learning.

QVIP: An ILP-based Formal Verification Approach for Quantized Neural Networks

Deep learning has become a promising programming paradigm in software development, owing to its surprising performance in solving many challenging tasks. Deep neural networks (DNNs) are increasingly being deployed in practice, but are limited on resource-constrained devices owing to their demand for computational power. Quantization has emerged as a promising technique to reduce the size of DNNs with comparable accuracy as their floating-point numbered counterparts. The resulting quantized neural networks (QNNs) can be implemented energy-efficiently. Similar to their floating-point numbered counterparts, quality assurance techniques for QNNs, such as testing and formal verification, are essential but are currently less explored. In this work, we propose a novel and efficient formal verification approach for QNNs. In particular, we are the first to propose an encoding that reduces the verification problem of QNNs into the solving of integer linear constraints, which can be solved using off-the-shelf solvers. Our encoding is both sound and complete. We demonstrate the application of our approach on local robustness verification and maximum robustness radius computation. We implement our approach in a prototype tool QVIP and conduct a thorough evaluation. Experimental results on QNNs with different quantization bits confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach, e.g., two orders of magnitude faster and able to solve more verification tasks in the same time limit than the state-of-the-art methods.

BDD4BNN: A BDD-based Quantitative Analysis Framework for Binarized Neural Networks

Verifying and explaining the behavior of neural networks is becoming increasingly important, especially when they are deployed in safety-critical applications. In this paper, we study verification problems for Binarized Neural Networks (BNNs), the 1-bit quantization of general real-numbered neural networks. Our approach is to encode BNNs into Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs), which is done by exploiting the internal structure of the BNNs. In particular, we translate the input-output relation of blocks in BNNs to cardinality constraints which are then encoded by BDDs. Based on the encoding, we develop a quantitative verification framework for BNNs where precise and comprehensive analysis of BNNs can be performed. We demonstrate the application of our framework by providing quantitative robustness analysis and interpretability for BNNs. We implement a prototype tool BDD4BNN and carry out extensive experiments which confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.

Learning Safe Neural Network Controllers with Barrier Certificates

We provide a novel approach to synthesize controllers for nonlinear continuous dynamical systems with control against safety properties. The controllers are based on neural networks (NNs). To certify the safety property we utilize barrier functions, which are represented by NNs as well. We train the controller-NN and barrier-NN simultaneously, achieving a verification-in-the-loop synthesis. We provide a prototype tool nncontroller with a number of case studies. The experiment results confirm the feasibility and efficacy of our approach.

Finger Texture Biometric Characteristic: a Survey

\begin{abstract} In recent years, the Finger Texture (FT) has attracted considerable attention as a biometric characteristic. It can provide efficient human recognition performance, because it has different human-specific features of apparent lines, wrinkles and ridges distributed along the inner surface of all fingers. Also, such pattern structures are reliable, unique and remain stable throughout a human's life. Efficient biometric systems can be established based only on FTs. In this paper, a comprehensive survey of the relevant FT studies is presented. We also summarise the main drawbacks and obstacles of employing the FT as a biometric characteristic, and provide useful suggestions to further improve the work on FT. \end{abstract}

Making Agents' Abilities Explicit

Alternating-time temporal logics (ATL/ATL*) represent a family of modal logics for reasoning about agents' strategic abilities in multiagent systems (MAS). The interpretations of ATL/ATL* over the semantic model Concurrent Game Structures (CGS) usually vary depending on the agents' abilities, for instance, perfect vs. imperfect information, perfect vs. imperfect recall, resulting in a variety of variants which have been studied extensively in literature. However, they are defined at the semantic level, which may limit modeling flexibilities and may give counter-intuitive interpretations. To mitigate these issues, in this work, we propose to extend CGS with agents' abilities and study the new semantics of ATL/ATL* under this model. We give PSACE/2EXPTIME model-checking algorithms for ATL/ATL* and implement them as a prototype tool. Experiment results show the practical feasibility of the approach.