Interpreting Deep-Learned Error-Correcting Codes

Abstract

As new deep-learned error-correcting codes continue to be introduced, it is important to develop tools to interpret the designed codes and understand the training process. Prior work focusing on the deep-learned TurboAE has both interpreted the learned encoders post-hoc by mapping these onto nearby "interpretable" encoders, and experimentally evaluated the performance of these interpretable encoders with various decoders. Here we look at developing tools for interpreting the training process for deep-learned error-correcting codes, focusing on: 1) using the Goldreich-Levin algorithm to quickly interpret the learned encoder; 2) using Fourier coefficients as a tool for understanding the training dynamics and the loss landscape; 3) reformulating the training loss, the binary cross entropy, by relating it to encoder and decoder parameters, and the bit error rate (BER); 4) using these insights to formulate and study a new training procedure. All tools are demonstrated on TurboAE, but are applicable to other deep-learned forward error correcting codes (without feedback).