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New research explores layer normalization's impact on neural network approximation power

Two new arXiv papers explore the approximation power of neural networks when layer normalization techniques are applied adjacent to or in parallel with activation functions. The first paper, "Activation-Adjacent Layer Normalization," investigates how AN and PN networks with RMSNorm and Layer Normalization can approximate MLPs, detailing specific width requirements and error bounds for different activation functions. The second paper, "Parallel Layer Normalization for Universal Approximation," demonstrates that while a single LN unit is non-universal, parallel LN units (PLN-Nets) can achieve universal approximation, with the effectiveness depending on grouping structures and network types like CNNs and ViTs. AI

IMPACT These theoretical explorations into layer normalization and network approximation power could inform the design of more efficient and capable neural network architectures.

RANK_REASON Two academic papers published on arXiv discussing theoretical aspects of neural network architectures.

Read on arXiv cs.LG →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 2 sources. How we write summaries →

New research explores layer normalization's impact on neural network approximation power

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COVERAGE [2]

  1. arXiv cs.LG TIER_1 English(EN) · Yunhao Ni, Yuxin Guo, Jie Luo, Wenjun Wu, Lei Huang ·

    Activation-Adjacent Layer Normalization: Effects on Approximation Power

    arXiv:2610.21527v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Layer normalization (LN) and root mean square normalization (RMSNorm) depend on their inputs and remain nonlinear at inference. Inserting either next to an activation may therefore change the function a network represents. We study …

  2. arXiv cs.LG TIER_1 English(EN) · Yunhao Ni, Yuxin Guo, Yuhe Liu, Wenxin Sun, Jie Luo, Wenjun Wu, Lei Huang ·

    Parallel Layer Normalization for Universal Approximation

    arXiv:2505.13142v3 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Layer Normalization (LN) is usually studied for its role in optimization, but it also acts as a multivariate nonlinearity between affine layers. We investigate how grouping LN units affects the approximation power of neural netw…