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Equations · Machine learning

ReLU activation

The rectified linear unit: pass positive inputs through unchanged and set negative ones to zero.

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ReLU(x) = max(0, x)

Aethel says

ReLU of x equals the maximum of 0 and x

What it says

It is the simplest non-linear function in common use. Being cheap to compute and having a gradient of one for positive inputs, it made deep networks much easier to train than earlier S-shaped activations.

Symbol by symbol

SymbolSay itMeans
ReLUReLU, rhymes with day-loothe rectified linear unit
max(0, x)the maximum of 0 and xthe larger of 0 and x

Where you meet it

Neural-network architectures of every kind.

Questions

How do you say ReLU activation out loud?

ReLU(x) = max(0, x) is read: “ReLU of x equals the maximum of 0 and x.” That is exactly what Aethel says when it meets the formula in a book.

What does ReLU mean in ReLU activation?

ReLU (said “ReLU, rhymes with day-loo”) is the rectified linear unit.

What does max(0, x) mean in ReLU activation?

max(0, x) (said “the maximum of 0 and x”) is the larger of 0 and x.

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