The Dynamics of Quasiregular Neural Learning
Many learning problems combine a dominant regularity with systematic exceptions. Motivated by U-shaped learning in language acquisition, we study this interaction in controlled quasiregular regression problems where regular and exceptional solutions are explicitly known. Neural networks can partially acquire exceptions, subsequently regress toward the dominant regularity, and finally recover. This overregularization becomes substantially stronger when exceptions are rare, despite their early acquisition, but does not emerge equally across all regularities considered. Our results isolate a simple form of competition between regularities and exceptions during neural learning.
| Authors | Matthia Sabatelli |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.LG |
| Published | 22 September 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 22 September 2026 |
Silytics shows public metadata from arXiv and links to the original. Information may be incomplete or out of date. Last refreshed 17 October 2026. Licenses and terms of the original apply to the work itself. Not financial, legal or professional advice.