Symbolic Interpretation of Trained Neural Network Ensembles

Abstract

Symbolically representing the knowledge acquired by a neural network is a profound endeavor aimed at illuminating the latent information embedded within the network. The literature offers a multitude of algorithms dedicated to extracting symbolic classification rules from neural networks. While some excel in producing highly accurate rules, others specialize in generating rules that are easily comprehensible. Nevertheless, only a scant few algorithms manage to strike a harmonious balance between comprehensibility and accuracy. One such exemplary technique is the Rule Extraction from Neural Network Using Classified and Misclassified Data (RxNCM) algorithm, which adeptly generates straightforward and precise rules outlining input data ranges with commendable accuracy. This article endeavors to enhance the classification performance of the RxNCM algorithm by leveraging ensemble technique. Ensembles, a burgeoning field, focus on augmenting classifier performance by harnessing the strengths of individual classifiers. Extraction of rules through neural network ensembles is relatively underexplored, this paper bridges the gap by introducing the Rule extraction using Neural Network Ensembles (RENNE) algorithm. RENNE is designed to refine the classification rules derived from the RxNCM algorithm through ensemble strategy. Specifically, RENNE leverages patterns correctly predicted by an ensemble of neural networks during the rule generation process. The efficacy of the algorithm is validated using seven datasets sourced from the UCI repository. The outcomes indicate that the proposed RENNE algorithm outperforms the RxNCM algorithm in terms of performance.