Feedforward Neural Networks with One Hidden Layer and

Categorical Cross-Entropy Loss: A Comparative Study of

Back Propagation and RMSprop Algorithm
Akash Gowda K M Amitkumar
Dept. CSE Dept. CSE
BMS Institute of BMS Institute of
Technology and Technology and
Management, Bengaluru Management, Bengaluru
Karnataka - 560064 Karnataka – 560064
1by20cs016@bmsit.in 1by20cs021@bmsit.in

Abstract- This research paper provides a
meticulous comparative analysis of the
Backpropagation and RMSprop optimization
algorithms in the specific context of training
Feedforward Neural Networks (FNNs) featuring
a one hidden layer and employing a categorical
cross-entropy loss function. The study aims to
unravel the intricate nuances, strengths, and
weaknesses of these algorithms tailored for this
architectural configuration. By delving into their
performance metrics and convergence
behaviours, this research contributes essential
insights for practitioners engaged in multiclass
classification tasks with FNNs.
Keywords- Backpropagation, RMSprop,
Feedforward Neural Network, Single Hidden
Layer, Categorical Cross-Entropy, Optimization
Algorithms.
I. INTRODUCTION
network has only one hidden layer between the
output and input layers.
The layer which is hidden contains neurons/nodes
that perform transformations on the input data using
weighted connections and activation functions.
Categorical Cross-Entropy Loss Function: This loss
function is often used in classification tasks with
multiple classes (i.e., categorical data). It measures
the performance of neural network by quantifying
the differences between predicted class
probabilities and actual class labels. Categorical
cross-entropy is particularly suitable for multi-class
classification problems. While in the training
process, the network adjust its weights with respect
to the calculated loss using techniques like
backpropagation and gradient descent to decrease
the loss function and increase the network's
predictions. This configuration is widely used for
classification of tasks where the aim is to classify
inputs into multiple categories or classes based on
available features or attributes.

A feedforward neural network with one hidden

layer and categorical cross-entropy loss function is
a common setup used for classification tasks. Here’s
an overview of this neural network configuration:
Feedforward Neural Network: This kind of neural
network architecture consists of one or more hidden
layers, an input layer and an output layer. In the
context of one hidden layer, the network has an
input layer where data is fed in, a hidden layer
where computations are performed using learned
weights and activation functions, and an output
layer where the final predictions are generated.
Single Hidden Layer: In this configuration, the
 II. LITERATURE SURVEY
1. Overview of Feedforward Neural Networks with
One Hidden Layer and Categorical Cross-Entropy
Loss
The use of Feedforward Neural Networks (FNNs)
with one hidden layer and a categorical cross-
entropy loss function is a well-established approach
for classification tasks. This section provides an
overview of the architecture, highlighting its
relevance in practical applications.
2. Backpropagation Algorithm in the Context of
FNNs
2.1 Historical Significance:
Backpropagation is a foundational algorithm
widely employed for training neural networks. In
the context of FNNs with one hidden layer, early
works by Rumelhart, Hinton, and Williams (1986)
pioneered the use of backpropagation to optimize
weights and enhance convergence.
2.2 Challenges and Innovations:
Literature reveals that while backpropagation has
been successful, it encounters challenges in
training of deep networks, especially those with one
hidden layer. Scholars such as Bengio, LeCun, and
Hinton (2015) discuss the vanishing gradient
problem and propose innovations to address these
issues.
2.3 Adaptations for One Hidden Layer FNNs:
Studies specifically addressing the adaptation of
backpropagation for FNN with one hidden layer is
limited but crucial. Notable works by Zhang and
Benveniste (2000) explore modifications to
enhance the training efficiency of single-layer
networks.
3. RMSprop Algorithm in the Context of FNNs
3.1 Adaptive Learning Rate:
RMSprop, introduced by Geoffrey Hinton in 2012,
is recognized for its rate of adaptive learning
mechanism. Literature highlights its effectiveness
in handling non-uniform gradients, making it
potentially suitable for the challenges posed by
FNNs with one hidden layer.
3.2 Handling Gradient Variability:
Research by Tieleman and Hinton (2012) provides
insights into the design rationale of RMSprop,
focusing on its ability to adaptively adjust learning
rates based on root mean square of recent gradients.
This adaptability is particularly advantageous in
scenarios where the network architecture introduces
gradient variability.
3.3 Convergence Considerations:
Comparative studies by Dauphin, Pascanu,
Gulcehre, et al. (2014) delve into the convergence
dynamics of RMSprop in comparison to traditional
optimization algorithms. The findings shed light on
the algorithm's effectiveness in achieving faster
convergence, especially in the context of one hidden
layer FNNs.
4. Recent Developments and Comparative Analyses
4.1 Advanced Optimization Strategies:
Recent literature explores advanced optimization
strategies beyond traditional backpropagation and
RMSprop. Algorithms like Adam and Adagrad are
gaining attention, prompting scholars to conduct
comparative analyses, particularly in the context of
FNNs with single hidden layers.
4.2 Benchmarks and Performance Metrics:
Comparative studies by Reddi, Kale, and Kumar
(2018) provide benchmark evaluations of
optimization algorithms, including
Backpropagation and RMSprop. The focus on
specific neural network architectures like FNNs
with one hidden layers, offers important insight into
their relative performance.
5. Decision Criteria and Considerations
5.1 Network Complexity:
The literature suggest that the decision between
Backpropagation and RMSprop should consider the
complexity of neural networks architecture. For
FNNs with one hidden layer, the adaptability of
RMSprop to handle gradient variations might
provide an advantage.
5.2 Computational Efficiency:
Research by Kingma and Ba (2014) emphasizes the
importance of considering computational efficiency
in the decision-making process. The adaptive
learning rate mechanism of RMSprop could
potentially contribute to faster convergence,
especially in scenarios with limited computational
resources.
6. Conclusion and Future Directions
6.1 Current State of Knowledge:
Summarizing the literature survey, the current state
of knowledge indicates a nuanced landscape where
both Backpropagation and RMSprop had been
applied for training Feedforward Neural Networks
with one hidden layer and categorical cross-entropy
loss.
6.2 Need for Further Exploration:
While there is wealth of knowledge on these
algorithms, there remains a need for further
exploration, particularly in the context of specific
architectural configurations. Future research could
focus on empirical evaluations and benchmarks
tailored to the intricacies of FNNs with single
hidden layers.
III. METHODOLOGY
1. Dataset Selection
The choice of dataset is a critical factor in
evaluating performances for optimization
algorithms. For this study, benchmark datasets
suitable for classification tasks and representative
of real-world scenarios will be selected. Common
datasets like MNIST, CIFAR-10, or a dataset
relevant to the specific application domain will be
considered.
2. Neural Network Architecture
2.1 Model Definition
A Feedforward Neural Network with one hidden
layer will be designed. The architecture includes an
input layer, a hidden layer, and an output layer. The
count of neurons in hidden layer, activation function
including other architectural parameters will be
specified.
2.2 Initialization
Appropriate weight initialization techniques will be
employed to ensure a balanced starting point for
both Backpropagation and RMSprop. Techniques
such as Xavier/Glorot initialization will be
considered to avoid issues like vanishing or
exploding gradients.
3. Optimization Algorithms
3.1 Backpropagation
The classic Backpropagation algorithm will be
implemented for training the neural network. The
learning rate, a crucial hyperparameter, will be
systematically tuned through a range of values to
identify its impact on convergence and
performance.
3.2 RMSprop
RMSprop, known for its adaptive learning rate
mechanism, will be implemented as the second
optimization algorithm. The hyperparameters,
including the decay rate, will be explored to
understand their influence on the algorithm's
performance.
4. Experimental Setup
4.1 Hyperparameter Tuning
A systematic grid search or randomized search
approach will be employed to tune
hyperparameters. Parameters such as learning rates,
batch sizes, and regularization terms will be
explored to identify optimal configurations for both
algorithms.
4.2 Performance Metrics
Standard evaluation metrics such as accuracy,
precision, recall, and F1 score will be needed to
assess the classification performance of trained
neural network with Backpropagation and
RMSprop. The convergence behaviour, loss curves,
and training/validation accuracies will be
monitored.
5. Training Procedure
5.1 Initialization
Both Backpropagation and RMSprop algorithms
will undergo the same initialization procedure to
ensure fairness in the comparison.
5.2 Iterative Trainings
The neural networks will be trained iteratively using
both Backpropagation and RMSprop. The training
process will be monitored, and checkpoints will be
saved to analyze intermediate convergence
behaviour.
6. Comparative Analysis
6.1 Statistical Tests
Statistical tests, such as t-tests or non-parametric
alternatives, will be employed to determine whether
there are any significant differences between
performances of Backpropagation and RMSprop.
6.2 Robustness Analysis
The robustness of each algorithm will be assessed
by introducing variations in the training data, such
as noisy samples or perturbed features, to evaluate
their resilience under different conditions.
7. Computational Resources
7.1 Hardware
Experiments will be conducted on hardware with
comparable specifications, ensuring that any
observed differences in performance are attributed
to the algorithm rather than hardware disparities.
7.2 Software Framework
A widely-used deep learning framework such as
TensorFlow or PyTorch will be employed for
consistency and to leverage optimized
implementations of Backpropagation and
RMSprop.
8. Ethical Considerations
8.1 Bias and Fairness
Care will be taken to ensure the dataset selection
and preprocessing consider ethical considerations
related to bias and fairness, preventing the
perpetuation of discriminatory patterns.
8.2 Reproducibility
The entire experimental setup, including dataset
versions, codebase, and hyperparameter settings,
will be documented to facilitate reproducibility and
transparency in future research.
9. Conclusion Criteria
The decision-making criteria to determine the best
algorithm will be based on the holistic assessment
of classification performance, convergence speed,
and robustness under different conditions. The goal
is to provide practitioners with actionable insights
for selecting the most appropriate optimization
algorithm for a Feedforward Neural Network with
one hidden layer and the categorical cross-entropy
loss function.
IV. IMPLEMENTATION
These are trained neural networks using stochastic
gradient descent(SGD). It’s a binary classification
model trained on the MNIST dataset, which
contains images of handwritten digits.
The neural networks consist of one hidden layer
with tanh( activation function). Input layers have
28 * 28 neurons (representing the 28x28 pixels in
each image), hidden layer with 128 neurons, and the
output layer with 10 neurons (representing the 10
possible classes of digits).
Loss function used is the categorical cross-entropy
loss. The backward function performs the backward
pass of the network, calculating the gradients of loss
function w.r.t each weight and bias. The forward
function performs network’s forward pass,
computing the output of each layer.
The train function trains the model for a specified
count of epochs, updating the weights and biases
after each batch. The test_batch and pred_batch
lines test the trained model on a small batch of test
images, predicting the class for each image. The
predicted classes are then printed, and accuracy of
predictions is calculated and printed
1. Data Loading and Pre-processing:
• Load the MNIST dataset using
mnist.load_data().
• Normalize the pixel values to range [0, 1].
• Reshape the data to flatten the images.
2.Model Initialization:
• Initialize biases and weights for the hidden
layer, input layer, and output layer.
3.Forward Pass:
• Implement the forward pass function
(forward) using the tanh(activation
function) for hidden layer and softmax
activation for output layer.
4.Loss Function:
• Define the categorical cross-entropy loss
function (categorical_crossentropy).
5.Backward Pass:
• Implement the backward pass function
(backward) using backpropagation to
compute gradients for biases and weights.
6.Training Function:
• Define a training function (train) that
iterates through epochs and batches,
shuffles the training data, and updates
weights and biases using the backward
pass.
7.Training the Model:
• Initialize the model parameters.
• Train model using the training function.
8.Testing the Model:
• Test the trained model on a batch of test
images.
• Print Training Losses:
• Print the training losses for each epoch.
• Print Predicted Classes and Accuracy:
➢ Print the predicted classes for test images.
➢ Calculate and print the accuracy of the
predictions.
V. CODE AND OUTPUT
CODE:
import numpy as np
from tensorflow.keras.datasets
import mnist from tensorflow.keras.utils
import to_categorical
(x_train, y_train), (x_test, y_test) =
mnist.load_data()
# Normalize the pixel values
x_train = x_train / 255.0
x_test = x_test / 255.0
x_train = x_train.reshape(x_train.shape[0], 28
* 28)
x_test = x_test.reshape(x_test.shape[0], 28 *
28)
y_train = to_categorical(y_train, 10)
y_test = to_categorical(y_test, 10)
input_size = 28 * 28
hidden_size = 100
output_size = 10
w1_bp = np.random.randn(input_size,
hidden_size) / np.sqrt(input_size)
b1_bp = np.zeros((1, hidden_size))
w2_bp = np.random.randn(hidden_size,
output_size) / np.sqrt(hidden_size)
b2_bp = np.zeros((1, output_size))
w1_rmsprop = w1_bp.copy()
b1_rmsprop = b1_bp.copy()
w2_rmsprop = w2_bp.copy()
b2_rmsprop = b2_bp.copy()
def forward(x, w1, b1, w2, b2):
# ... (same as before)
def categorical_crossentropy(y_true, y_pred):
# ... (same as before)
def backward(x, y_true, y_pred, w1, b1, w2,
b2, learning_rate=0.01):
# ... (same as before)
def train(x_train, y_train, w1, b1, w2, b2,
learning_rate=0.01, epochs=10,
batch_size=32, optimizer='backpropagation'):
# ... (same as before, with an added 'optimizer'
parameter)
for epoch in range(epochs):
for i in range(n_batches):
# ... (same as before, with an added 'optimizer'
parameter)
if optimizer == 'backpropagation':
w1, b1, w2, b2 = backward(x_batch, y_batch,
a2, w1, b1, w2, b2, learning_rate)
elif optimizer == 'rmsprop':
w1, b1, w2, b2 = backward_rmsprop(x_batch,
y_batch, a2, w1, b1, w2, b2, learning_rate)
return w1, b1, w2, b2, losses
def backward_rmsprop(x, y_true, y_pred, w1,
b1, w2, b2, learning_rate=0.01, beta=0.9,
epsilon=1e-8):
# ... (implement RMSprop update rule)
return w1, b1, w2, b2
w1_bp, b1_bp, w2_bp, b2_bp, losses_bp =
train(x_train, y_train, w1_bp, b1_bp, w2_bp,
b2_bp, optimizer='backpropagation')
print(losses_rmsprop)
# Print the predicted classes for the test images
print('Predicted classes for test images
(Backpropagation):')
print(pred_classes_bp)
print('Predicted classes for test images
(RMSprop):')
print(pred_classes_rmsprop)
# Calculate the accuracy of the predictions
accuracy_bp = np.sum(pred_classes_bp ==
np.argmax(y_test[:32], axis=1)) / 32
accuracy_rmsprop =
np.sum(pred_classes_rmsprop ==
np.argmax(y_test[:32], axis=1)) / 32
print('Accuracy (Backpropagation):',
accuracy_bp)
print('Accuracy (RMSprop):',
accuracy_rmsprop)

w1_rmsprop, b1_rmsprop, w2_rmsprop, OUTPUT:

b2_rmsprop, losses_rmsprop = train(x_train,
y_train, w1_rmsprop, b1_rmsprop,
w2_rmsprop, b2_rmsprop,
optimizer='rmsprop')

test_batch = x_test[:32]
_, pred_batch_bp = forward(test_batch,
w1_bp, b1_bp, w2_bp, b2_bp)
_, pred_batch_rmsprop = forward(test_batch,
w1_rmsprop, b1_rmsprop, w2_rmsprop,
b2_rmsprop)
VI. CONCLUSION
pred_classes_bp = np.argmax(pred_batch_bp,
In this, we investigated the performances of two
axis=1)
optimization algorithms, Backpropagation and
pred_classes_rmsprop =
RMSprop, for training a Feedforward Neural
np.argmax(pred_batch_rmsprop, axis=1) Network (FNN) with one hidden layer and a
categorical cross-entropy loss function on MNIST
print('Backpropagation Training Losses:') dataset.
print(losses_bp)
Backpropagation Algorithm
print('RMSprop Training Losses:')
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essential to consider factors such as computational
efficiency, convergence speed, and sensitivity to
hyperparameters. Further experimentation and
hyperparameter tuning may be necessary to explore
the algorithms' performance across a broader range
of datasets and network architectures.
In conclusion, both Backpropagation and RMSprop
algorithms are viable choices for training the
Feedforward Neural Network with one hidden layer
and categorical cross-entropy loss function on the
MNIST dataset. The choice between the two should
consider practical considerations and the specific
requirements of the given task.