Pattern Recognition
ProFi-Net: Prototype-based Feature Attention with Curriculum Augmentation for WiFi-based Gesture Recognition
Cui, Zhe, Zhang, Shuxian, Lou, Kangzhi, Tran, Le-Nam
This paper presents ProFi-Net, a novel few-shot learning framework for WiFi-based gesture recognition that overcomes the challenges of limited training data and sparse feature representations. ProFi-Net employs a prototype-based metric learning architecture enhanced with a feature-level attention mechanism, which dynamically refines the Euclidean distance by emphasizing the most discriminative feature dimensions. Additionally, our approach introduces a curriculum-inspired data augmentation strategy exclusively on the query set. By progressively incorporating Gaussian noise of increasing magnitude, the model is exposed to a broader range of challenging variations, thereby improving its generalization and robustness to overfitting. Extensive experiments conducted across diverse real-world environments demonstrate that ProFi-Net significantly outperforms conventional prototype networks and other state-of-the-art few-shot learning methods in terms of classification accuracy and training efficiency.
Hierarchical Attention Generates Better Proofs
Chen, Jianlong, Li, Chao, Yuan, Yang, Yao, Andrew C
Large language models (LLMs) have shown promise in formal theorem proving, but their token-level processing often fails to capture the inherent hierarchical nature of mathematical proofs. We introduce \textbf{Hierarchical Attention}, a regularization method that aligns LLMs' attention mechanisms with mathematical reasoning structures. Our approach establishes a five-level hierarchy from foundational elements to high-level concepts, ensuring structured information flow in proof generation. Experiments demonstrate that our method improves proof success rates by 2.05\% on miniF2F and 1.69\% on ProofNet while reducing proof complexity by 23.81\% and 16.50\% respectively. The code is available at https://github.com/Car-pe/HAGBP.
Use of Metric Learning for the Recognition of Handwritten Digits, and its Application to Increase the Outreach of Voice-based Communication Platforms
Pant, Devesh, Talukder, Dibyendu, Kumar, Deepak, Pandey, Rachit, Seth, Aaditeshwar, Arora, Chetan
Initiation, monitoring, and evaluation of development programmes can involve field-based data collection about project activities. This data collection through digital devices may not always be feasible though, for reasons such as unaffordability of smartphones and tablets by field-based cadre, or shortfalls in their training and capacity building. Paper-based data collection has been argued to be more appropriate in several contexts, with automated digitization of the paper forms through OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) techniques. We contribute with providing a large dataset of handwritten digits, and deep learning based models and methods built using this data, that are effective in real-world environments. We demonstrate the deployment of these tools in the context of a maternal and child health and nutrition awareness project, which uses IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems to provide awareness information to rural women SHG (Self Help Group) members in north India. Paper forms were used to collect phone numbers of the SHG members at scale, which were digitized using the OCR tools developed by us, and used to push almost 4 million phone calls. The data, model, and code have been released in the open-source domain.
Federated Learning of Low-Rank One-Shot Image Detection Models in Edge Devices with Scalable Accuracy and Compute Complexity
Hannaan, Abdul, Shah, Zubair, Erbad, Aiman, Mohamed, Amr, Safa, Ali
This paper introduces a novel federated learning framework termed LoRa-FL designed for training low-rank one-shot image detection models deployed on edge devices. By incorporating low-rank adaptation techniques into one-shot detection architectures, our method significantly reduces both computational and communication overhead while maintaining scalable accuracy. The proposed framework leverages federated learning to collaboratively train lightweight image recognition models, enabling rapid adaptation and efficient deployment across heterogeneous, resource-constrained devices. Experimental evaluations on the MNIST and CIFAR10 benchmark datasets, both in an independent-and-identically-distributed (IID) and non-IID setting, demonstrate that our approach achieves competitive detection performance while significantly reducing communication bandwidth and compute complexity. This makes it a promising solution for adaptively reducing the communication and compute power overheads, while not sacrificing model accuracy.
Disentangled Graph Representation Based on Substructure-Aware Graph Optimal Matching Kernel Convolutional Networks
Wang, Mao, Wu, Tao, Xian, Xingping, Qiao, Shaojie, Niu, Weina, Cui, Canyixing
Graphs effectively characterize relational data, driving graph representation learning methods that uncover underlying predictive information. As state-of-the-art approaches, Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) enable end-to-end learning for diverse tasks. Recent disentangled graph representation learning enhances interpretability by decoupling independent factors in graph data. However, existing methods often implicitly and coarsely characterize graph structures, limiting structural pattern analysis within the graph. This paper proposes the Graph Optimal Matching Kernel Convolutional Network (GOMKCN) to address this limitation. We view graphs as node-centric subgraphs, where each subgraph acts as a structural factor encoding position-specific information. This transforms graph prediction into structural pattern recognition. Inspired by CNNs, GOMKCN introduces the Graph Optimal Matching Kernel (GOMK) as a convolutional operator, computing similarities between subgraphs and learnable graph filters. Mathematically, GOMK maps subgraphs and filters into a Hilbert space, representing graphs as point sets. Disentangled representations emerge from projecting subgraphs onto task-optimized filters, which adaptively capture relevant structural patterns via gradient descent. Crucially, GOMK incorporates local correspondences in similarity measurement, resolving the trade-off between differentiability and accuracy in graph kernels. Experiments validate that GOMKCN achieves superior accuracy and interpretability in graph pattern mining and prediction. The framework advances the theoretical foundation for disentangled graph representation learning.
Time Frequency Analysis of EMG Signal for Gesture Recognition using Fine grained Features
Aarotale, Parshuram N., Rattani, Ajita
Electromyography (EMG) based hand gesture recognition converts forearm muscle activity into control commands for prosthetics, rehabilitation, and human computer interaction. This paper proposes a novel approach to EMG-based hand gesture recognition that uses fine-grained classification and presents XMANet, which unifies low-level local and high level semantic cues through cross layer mutual attention among shallow to deep CNN experts. Using stacked spectrograms and scalograms derived from the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) and Wavelet Transform (WT), we benchmark XMANet against ResNet50, DenseNet-121, MobileNetV3, and EfficientNetB0. Experimental results on the Grabmyo dataset indicate that, using STFT, the proposed XMANet model outperforms the baseline ResNet50, EfficientNetB0, MobileNetV3, and DenseNet121 models with improvement of approximately 1.72%, 4.38%, 5.10%, and 2.53%, respectively. When employing the WT approach, improvements of around 1.57%, 1.88%, 1.46%, and 2.05% are observed over the same baselines. Similarly, on the FORS EMG dataset, the XMANet(ResNet50) model using STFT shows an improvement of about 5.04% over the baseline ResNet50. In comparison, the XMANet(DenseNet121) and XMANet(MobileNetV3) models yield enhancements of approximately 4.11% and 2.81%, respectively. Moreover, when using WT, the proposed XMANet achieves gains of around 4.26%, 9.36%, 5.72%, and 6.09% over the baseline ResNet50, DenseNet121, MobileNetV3, and EfficientNetB0 models, respectively. These results confirm that XMANet consistently improves performance across various architectures and signal processing techniques, demonstrating the strong potential of fine grained features for accurate and robust EMG classification.
PEFT A2Z: Parameter-Efficient Fine-Tuning Survey for Large Language and Vision Models
Prottasha, Nusrat Jahan, Chowdhury, Upama Roy, Mohanto, Shetu, Nuzhat, Tasfia, Sami, Abdullah As, Ali, Md Shamol, Sobuj, Md Shohanur Islam, Raman, Hafijur, Kowsher, Md, Garibay, Ozlem Ozmen
Large models such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Vision Language Models (VLMs) have transformed artificial intelligence, powering applications in natural language processing, computer vision, and multimodal learning. However, fully fine-tuning these models remains expensive, requiring extensive computational resources, memory, and task-specific data. Parameter-Efficient Fine-Tuning (PEFT) has emerged as a promising solution that allows adapting large models to downstream tasks by updating only a small portion of parameters. This survey presents a comprehensive overview of PEFT techniques, focusing on their motivations, design principles, and effectiveness. We begin by analyzing the resource and accessibility challenges posed by traditional fine-tuning and highlight key issues, such as overfitting, catastrophic forgetting, and parameter inefficiency. We then introduce a structured taxonomy of PEFT methods -- grouped into additive, selective, reparameterized, hybrid, and unified frameworks -- and systematically compare their mechanisms and trade-offs. Beyond taxonomy, we explore the impact of PEFT across diverse domains, including language, vision, and generative modeling, showing how these techniques offer strong performance with lower resource costs. We also discuss important open challenges in scalability, interpretability, and robustness, and suggest future directions such as federated learning, domain adaptation, and theoretical grounding. Our goal is to provide a unified understanding of PEFT and its growing role in enabling practical, efficient, and sustainable use of large models.
$O(p \log d)$ Subgraph Isomorphism using Stigmergic Swarming Agents
Subgraph isomorphism compares two graphs (sets of nodes joined by edges) to determine whether they contain a common subgraph. Many applications require identifying the subgraph, not just deciding its existence. A particularly common use case, using graphs with labeled nodes, seeks to find instances of a smaller pattern graph with $p$ nodes in the larger data graph with $d$ nodes. The problem is NP-complete, so that naïve solutions are exponential in $p + d$. A wide range of heuristics have been proposed, with the best complexity $O(p^2d^2)$. This paper outlines ASSIST (Approximate Swarming Subgraph Isomorphism through Stigmergy), inspired by the ant colony optimization approach to the traveling salesperson problem. ASSIST is linearithmic, $O(p \log d)$, and also supports matching problems (such as temporally ordered edges, inexact matches, and missing nodes or edges in the data graph) that frustrate other heuristics.
BEACON: A Benchmark for Efficient and Accurate Counting of Subgraphs
Najafi, Mohammad Matin, Zhu, Xianju, Kosyfaki, Chrysanthi, Lakshmanan, Laks V. S., Cheng, Reynold
Subgraph counting the task of determining the number of instances of a query pattern within a large graph lies at the heart of many critical applications, from analyzing financial networks and transportation systems to understanding biological interactions. Despite decades of work yielding efficient algorithmic (AL) solutions and, more recently, machine learning (ML) approaches, a clear comparative understanding is elusive. This gap stems from the absence of a unified evaluation framework, standardized datasets, and accessible ground truths, all of which hinder systematic analysis and fair benchmarking. To overcome these barriers, we introduce BEACON: a comprehensive benchmark designed to rigorously evaluate both AL and ML-based subgraph counting methods. BEACON provides a standardized dataset with verified ground truths, an integrated evaluation environment, and a public leaderboard, enabling reproducible and transparent comparisons across diverse approaches. Our extensive experiments reveal that while AL methods excel in efficiently counting subgraphs on very large graphs, they struggle with complex patterns (e.g., those exceeding six nodes). In contrast, ML methods are capable of handling larger patterns but demand massive graph data inputs and often yield suboptimal accuracy on small, dense graphs. These insights not only highlight the unique strengths and limitations of each approach but also pave the way for future advancements in subgraph counting techniques. Overall, BEACON represents a significant step towards unifying and accelerating research in subgraph counting, encouraging innovative solutions and fostering a deeper understanding of the trade-offs between algorithmic and machine learning paradigms.
MIEB: Massive Image Embedding Benchmark
Xiao, Chenghao, Chung, Isaac, Kerboua, Imene, Stirling, Jamie, Zhang, Xin, Kardos, Márton, Solomatin, Roman, Moubayed, Noura Al, Enevoldsen, Kenneth, Muennighoff, Niklas
Image representations are often evaluated through disjointed, task-specific protocols, leading to a fragmented understanding of model capabilities. For instance, it is unclear whether an image embedding model adept at clustering images is equally good at retrieving relevant images given a piece of text. We introduce the Massive Image Embedding Benchmark (MIEB) to evaluate the performance of image and image-text embedding models across the broadest spectrum to date. MIEB spans 38 languages across 130 individual tasks, which we group into 8 high-level categories. We benchmark 50 models across our benchmark, finding that no single method dominates across all task categories. We reveal hidden capabilities in advanced vision models such as their accurate visual representation of texts, and their yet limited capabilities in interleaved encodings and matching images and texts in the presence of confounders. We also show that the performance of vision encoders on MIEB correlates highly with their performance when used in multimodal large language models. Our code, dataset, and leaderboard are publicly available at https://github.com/embeddings-benchmark/mteb.