Skip to content

Category

machine learning

3,367 papers

#artificial intelligence Preprint Open access Sep 2026

Data-Optimized Contingency Screening: A Machine Learning Approach to Power System Security

Ensuring the security of the power system is essential for stability and reliability, especially in the event of disruption. Effective classification of contingency in power systems enables proactive decision-making and mitigates large-scale breakdowns and failures. This study explores the use of machine learning algorithms to classify security levels of contingencies in power systems into safe, moderate or severe classes. For this approach, Newton-Raphson load flow method extracts system data from contingency scenarios, using Overall Performance Index (OPI) as safety measure. For data pre-processing, Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to address class imbalance and reduce dimensionality, respectively. K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) is trained and evaluated on datasets generated through N-k contingency scenarios for k equal 1, 2, and 3 on IEEE-14 and IEEE-30 bus systems using four hybrid pre-processing configurations: normalized, SMOTE-balanced, PCA-transformed, and a combined SMOTE PCA-transformed. Performance is assessed by precision, recall and F1 score, with priority given to the severe contingency classes. The RF achieved the highest F1 scores of 0.97 in IEEE-30 and 0.86 in IEEE-14, SVM benefits significantly from PCA and improves the accuracy of the classification, while KNN is best suited for SMOTE and PCA conversion. The findings show that PCA contributes more than SMOTE to the overall performance of the model. However, SMOTE improves recall but can introduce false positives and is therefore a compromise of accuracy. This study highlights machine learning as a scalable and powerful alternative to traditional contingency analysis, which improves the assessment of security in real time.

Joshua Salako, Folajimi Osikomaiya, Olakorede Olamiju · 0 citations
#artificial intelligence Preprint Open access Sep 2026

EXAONE Forecast for Finance

This technical report presents EXAONE Forecast for Finance (EXAONE Finance), a financial time series (TS) foundation model (TSFM) tailored to financial forecasting. Recent TSFMs achieve strong zero-shot performance through large-scale pretraining. However, they are primarily developed for general-domain TS and largely rely on self-attention backbones whose computational cost grows quadratically with sequence length and variate count. Moreover, they assume fully observed inputs and are pretrained on corpora that fail to capture the unique dynamics of financial markets. These limitations hinder their applicability to finance, where long, many-channel, intermittently observed panels are common. To address these challenges, EXAONE Finance adopts an attention-free architecture, replacing self-attention with two simple yet effective linear-time operators: 1) a causal 1D convolution for temporal mixing and 2) a group-aware pooling multi-layer perceptron (MLP) for variate mixing. Furthermore, a masked context augmentation exposes the model to contiguous missing spans during training, improving robustness to the missingness pervasive in financial markets. EXAONE Finance is pretrained on a large-scale financial corpus covering not only equities but also foreign exchange, commodities, crypto-assets, fixed income, and macroeconomic indicators. On FinVerse, a financial forecasting benchmark covering diverse asset classes, EXAONE Finance attains state-of-the-art performance, ranking first across all three evaluation tiers---point-forecast accuracy, cross-sectional asset ranking, and portfolio profitability.

Seunghan Lee, Jaehoon Lee, Jun Seo et al. · 0 citations

Concept-Guided Spatial Regularization for World Models in Atari Pong

World models are usually evaluated as components of model-based reinforcement learning (MBRL) systems, leaving their standalone reliability understudied. We reproduce five visual world-model agents in Atari Pong -- DreamerV3, DIAMOND, TWISTER, Simulus, and STORM -- and match their reported agent performance. We then freeze the learned world models and evaluate them in two ways. In a closed-loop rollout diagnostic, a policy trained separately from the corresponding MBRL agent interacts with each frozen model, and we inspect the generated visual trajectories for visual and dynamical errors. Across all five models, these rollouts contain clear failures, including ball disappearance, incorrect motion, and invalid ball-paddle interactions. Beyond visual trajectories, we further evaluate the frozen models with pixel-space zero-shot MBRL, a challenging setting in which a new policy is trained entirely inside each frozen world model and then evaluated in the real environment. Across all five models, these policies substantially underperform those produced by the corresponding original MBRL pipelines. For DreamerV3, mean return drops from $-5.5$ to $-20.9$, near the minimum of $-21$. We hypothesize that insufficient modeling of task-critical concepts, such as the ball in Pong, contributes to these failures and propose Concept-Guided Spatial Regularization (CGSReg), an auxiliary reconstruction loss on segmented concept regions. CGSReg improves both closed-loop rollouts and pixel-space zero-shot MBRL in DreamerV3, DIAMOND, and TWISTER, and improves zero-shot MBRL in Simulus; STORM shows no clear improvement.

Yukuang Lu, Zaishuo Xia, Weyl Lu et al. · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Jul 2026

Equilibrium Training of Energy-Based Models with Parallel Trajectory Tempering

Energy-Based Models (EBMs) provide an interpretable framework for generative modeling of scientific data, but poor Markov Chain Monte Carlo mixing often limits their reliability. We introduce a training algorithm based on Parallel Trajectory Tempering (PTT), which exploits the continuity of the optimization path to maintain equilibrium sampling throughout learning. This enables stable and fast training on highly multimodal and data-scarce scientific datasets. Combined with reservoir sampling and adaptive optimization, PTT has a computational cost comparable to Persistent Contrastive Divergence, making it a practical replacement for standard training methods. It also provides direct estimates of thermalization times, equilibrium samples from trained models, and accurate log-likelihoods at essentially no additional cost. Experiments on Restricted Boltzmann Machines show that PTT consistently outperforms existing EBM training approaches. On discrete tabular data, it also surpasses state-of-the-art deep generative models, yielding higher-quality samples and greater robustness to overfitting and limited data. Our results make equilibrium maximum-likelihood training of EBMs practical and computationally efficient.

Nicolas B'ereux, A. Decelle, Cyril Furtlehner et al. · 0 citations
#machine learning Open access Sep 2026

Retrieval-Augmented Decoding for Improving Truthfulness in Open-Ended Generation

Ensuring truthfulness in large language models (LLMs) remains a critical challenge for reliable text generation. While supervised fine-tuning and reinforcement learning with human feedback have shown promise, they require a substantial amount of annotated data and computational resources, limiting scalability. In contrast, decoding-time interventions offer lightweight alternatives without model retraining. However, existing decoding strategies often face issues like prompt sensitivity, limited generalization, or dependence on internal model states. We propose Retrieval-Augmented Decoding (RAD), a context-aware adaptive decoding method that leverages a compact reference grounding space built from as few as 10 annotated examples and comprising pairs of context embeddings and next-token logits from truthful responses, to enable retrieval-based logit shaping during inference. At each decoding step, RAD retrieves high-quality semantically similar contexts from this grounding space and aggregates their associated next token logits to modify the model's current logits. Across four open-ended generation benchmarks and four LLMs, our method consistently outperforms strong baselines and shows robust cross-task generalization, underscoring the promise of context-aware decoding for enhancing factual reliability.

Manh Nguyen, Sunil Gupta, Linh Le · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Jul 2026

Forgetful Attention: An Auditable Support-Vector Memory for Selective Retention and Verified Deletion

Auditable memory requires a precise contract: which output is preserved, relative to which reference solve, and across which updates. We introduce Support Vector Attention (SV-Attention), a one-class support vector data description (SVDD) gate whose coefficients enter the readout. Zero-coefficient keys are reserve; positive-coefficient keys are active. Removing a reserve token without re-solving preserves the current readout. Maintained deletion, which updates the existing solver state, targets a fresh retained-key fit under the same coefficient cap C. Across 1,200 fp64 deletion/refit trials on Gaussian, redundant, MIMIC-IV, and learned keys, 1,199 complete. Median maximum gate-score discrepancy over declared probes ranges from 4.5e-13 to 5.7e-7, and fresh refitting is 24-223 times slower than maintained deletion on the reference CPU. A deterministic example shows that current reserve status does not guarantee equivalence after future admissions. At matched token counts, rare-group recall is 0.861 versus 0.319 for an oracle attention-mass proxy (H2O-style). In a held-out-channel ICU control, SpO2 below 90 percent defines events but SpO2 is excluded from every selector; event-hour retention is 0.464 versus 0.225 for an RBF-density baseline. A separate batched approximation supports end-to-end training; at 3.22M parameters, seven paired seeds yield mean best-validation bits per character of 2.178 versus 2.383 (p=0.001). The contracts are point-in-time and fixed-C; future-safe streaming and general-purpose performance remain open, and larger fixed-step runs suggest slower optimization.

V. Ramesh · 1 citation
#machine learning Preprint Open access Sep 2026

Hierarchical Channel Stacking: A Structured Decision Framework for AI-Generated Image Detection

Many synthetic-image detectors produce accurate predictions but offer limited insight into how those decisions are formed. This paper introduces Hierarchical Channel Stacking (HCS), a compact framework for AI-generated image detection that converts intermediate CNN activations into a structured 60-dimensional representation organized across three progressively deeper backbone stages. HCS uses per-channel Level-1 classifiers and a Level-2 aggregator to produce image-level predictions while preserving explicit hierarchical structure for analysis. On a benchmark spanning GAN and diffusion generators, HCS achieves 86.7% accuracy and 86.7% macro-F1 on the held-out test set. Stage ablation shows that the full three-stage system outperforms reduced single-stage and two-stage variants, indicating that the hierarchy carries complementary predictive information. Stage-level contribution analysis further shows that, in the analyzed detector setting, fake GAN and fake diffusion images exhibit distinct stage-level contribution profiles. These results position HCS not simply as a compact detector, but as a structured framework for studying how synthetic-image detectors assemble evidence across representation levels.

Saifullah Shoaib, Akash Borigi, Rupendra Lekkala et al. · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Open access Sep 2026

Data Driven Equation Discovery for Phase-Ordering Dynamics : From Allen Cahn to the Ising Model

Data-driven discovery of governing equations from spatiotemporal data offers a promising route to obtaining coarse-grained descriptions of complex dynamical systems. Here, we investigate the performance of PDE-SINDy for discovering phase-ordering dynamics using the Allen--Cahn equation as a benchmark and the Ising model with Glauber spin-flip dynamics as a microscopic system. We systematically analyze the effects of data availability, size of the candidate library, and noise on the efficiency of the equation discovery. We find that stability-selection PDE-SINDy can robustly identify the relevant terms in the governing dynamics even under limited or noisy data, while the recovered coefficient values are substantially more sensitive to these factors. We further show that enlarging the candidate library can strongly affect both term identification and coefficient recovery. Incorporating library bagging with stability selection reduces this sensitivity and improves the efficiency of equation discovery. For the Glauber spin flip Ising model dynamics, the resulting coarse-grained equation reproduces the characteristic phase-separation and coarsening dynamics of the underlying microscopic system. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of PDE-SINDy for phase-ordering systems while highlighting the importance of carefully assessing the factors that influence the efficiency of equation discovery.

Partha Sarathi Mondal, Manav Kumar Jalan, Anish Kumar et al. · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Open access Sep 2026

Learning-Based Collaborative MEC for LLM Inference with Soft-Deadline Awareness via Transformer-Enhanced PPO

This paper investigates collaborative mobile edge computing (MEC) servers for large language model (LLM) inference under soft deadline constraints. In this system, to improve the quality of service, computations are expected to be completed within their deadlines. However, due to dependencies among tasks or subtasks, any missed deadline can lead to catastrophic consequences for the entire request. In this context, this work proposes an extended deadline mechanism with constrained flexibility. The main challenges lie in handling large-scale computations under strict latency constraints while limiting the number of allowable deadline extensions, especially in the presence of task dependencies within each request. To tackle these challenges, we develop a transformer-enhanced proximal policy optimization (PPO) framework that enables efficient collaboration among MEC servers. The proposed approach aims to maximize the number of tasks completed within their deadlines while minimizing the use of deadline extensions. By capturing temporal dependencies and cross-server interactions, the transformer improves decision-making for task migration. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms conventional PPO and heuristic-based approaches in terms of task completion rate and overall system efficiency.

Ngoc Hung Nguyen, Bjorn Landfeldt · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Open access Sep 2026

DrainSinkhorn: Safe Elimination for Batched Entropic Optimal Transport

Fast entropic optimal transport backends reduce the cost of each Sinkhorn update, but static batches still run at full width until the slowest problem finishes. We introduce DrainSinkhorn, a verifier-gated active-packing layer for batches of independent Sinkhorn problems. It combines candidate-axis packing, a Sinkhorn-specific one-sided screen, verifier-gated retirement under the backend's configured two-sided residual check, and physical compaction of all candidate-indexed state. The EOT objective, per-instance Sinkhorn map, and stopping rule are unchanged; later kernels run only on unfinished problems. We characterize the removable work exactly. If completion depths differ within a packed window, active execution removes the padding between the static batch rectangle and the observed survival curve. A quotient nonlinear Perron-Frobenius analysis gives a local explanation for these finite-tolerance depth differences: convergence depends on the full modal spectrum and proposal alignment, not only on the slowest mode. DrainSinkhorn achieves state-of-the-art execution performance on the tested heterogeneous batched-EOT workloads within matched backend families. The complete Flash-backed OT path is 4.110x faster on MetroPT-3, 3.798x faster on ImageNet-32 feature couplings, and 1.250-1.270x faster across a five-tolerance Packer19 sweep. Independent implementations reach 2.600x on ImageNet-32 with OTT-JAX, 3.174x on A2D2 LiDAR with PyKeOps, and 1.415x on large ImageNet-32 PyKeOps couplings. End-to-end speedups remain 4.074x on MetroPT-3 and 2.786x on ImageNet-32 feature-space OT flow matching, with all reported residual, consumer-output, and training-quality checks passing.

Xinyang Wen · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Open access Sep 2026

Physics-Guided Robotic Radiation Source Localization along Arbitrary Measurement Paths in Unstructured Environments

Using robots to estimate the location of the radiation source is an effective way to improve efficiency and safety. Existing methods focus on planning the robot's path to achieve precise estimation, typically approaching the source. However, approaching the source increases the risk of radiation damage to a robot. In addition, a path-planning algorithm designed solely for radiation source localization (RSL) limits the flexibility of missions that deploy robots into radioactive environments. This study presents an automation framework for robotic RSL that leverages a physics-informed machine learning (PIML) model to precisely estimate the source location, regardless of measurement paths, in unknown environments. Physics-inspired model tensors have been designed for PIML to handle attenuated gamma-ray flux signals from unknown obstacles, and multiple models are computed in parallel to improve the robustness and precision of the RSL. The proposed method is evaluated in high-fidelity simulation environments using Monte Carlo particle transport across diverse randomized domains, including spatial scales, radiation source types, obstacle materials and geometries, and robot trajectories. The method is also validated through physical experiments on configurations that are not included in the simulation-based evaluation. The continuous learning technique is applied in real-robot deployment to enhance the practical applicability of the online robotic RSL system. The proposed method advances robot radiation perception from pointwise flux detection to spatial intelligence.

Hojoon Son, Kai Tan, Fan Zhang · 0 citations
#machine learning Preprint Open access Sep 2026

Spectral Gating via Damped Oscillations for Adaptive Implicit Neural Representations

Implicit Neural Representations (INRs) have been proven successful in encoding continuous signals through coordinate-based networks, yet facing a spectral dilemma: periodic activations capture fine details but act as all-pass filters that memorise noise, while spatially compact activations regularise effectively but suffer from low-frequency bias. Existing attempts to resolve this trade-off introduce computational overhead or tuning frailty. We propose to model each neuron's activation as the steady-state response of a sinusoidally-forced damped harmonic oscillator, whose amplitude naturally governs the network's spectral selectivity during training. By jointly optimising the oscillator parameters alongside the network weights, our method adapts to the target signal's spectral content without explicit regularisation. Initialised in the stopband, the network exhibits a coarse-to-fine learning curriculum that progressively expands its spectral gate, capturing low-frequency structures first and high-frequency details only when justified by the reconstruction objective. Comprehensive experiments show that our approach consistently achieves state-of-the-art or competitive results against established INRs, while requiring no task-specific tuning of any hyperparameters.

Alex Costanzino, Pierluigi Zama Ramirez, Giuseppe Lisanti et al. · 0 citations

From tech blogs

See all →
MIT News · Artificial Intelligence Aug 27, 2026

Looking beyond natural sequences

A new machine-learning framework aims to improve the success rate of computational protein design while moving away from results that reproduce sequences found in nature.

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.