A Simplified Natural Gradient Learning Algorithm

Adaptive natural gradient learning avoids singularities in the parameter space of multilayer perceptrons. However, it requires a larger number of additional parameters than ordinary backpropagation in the form of the Fisher information matrix. This article describes a new approach to natural gradient learning that uses a smaller Fisher information matrix. It also uses a prior distribution on the neural network parameters and an annealed learning rate. While this new approach is computationally simpler, its performance is comparable to that of Adaptive natural gradient learning.