Accretional networks

[Gene Norris]

A modest terminological proposal -- networks that change their connectivity
during learning usually do so by adding weights between existing units
or by adding new units (and therefore, new weights). Such networks can
be called **accretional**; those that add only weights between existing
units are weight-accretional, and those that add units are
unit-accretional.  (A network that changes its learning algorithm while
learning might be called intelligence-accretional, or just plain intelligent
(:-) ).

If one has devised a learning algorithm that prunes
networks of connections or units, these would, by extension, be called
deaccretional nets (if one wanted to make a distinction).

Anyway, it's a fresh, descriptive term with no (for me)
connotations:  good qualities for a technical term to have.

--Gene Norris
CS Dept George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22032 (703)323-2713
enorris at gmuvax2.gmu.edu                  FAX: 703 323 2630