BatchNorm

### Batch Normalization in Neural Networks Explained Batch normalization is an essential technique that enhances the performance and stability of deep neural networks by addressing issues related to internal covariate shift. This method allows each layer of a network to learn more independently of changes in other layers' parameters. During training, batch normalization applies a transformation that maintains the mean output close to 0 and the standard deviation near 1 for each mini-batch. By doing so, this process reduces the problem where inputs change significantly as weights get updated during backpropagation[^1]. The implementation involves several steps within each layer: - For every feature map across all instances in one mini-batch, compute the mean \( \mu_B \) and variance \( \sigma^2_B \). ```python def batch_norm(X, gamma, beta, eps=1e-5): # X: input tensor; gamma, beta: scale and offset parameters. mu = np.mean(X, axis=(0, 2, 3), keepdims=True) var = np.var(X - mu, axis=(0, 2, 3), keepdims=True) X_hat = (X - mu) / np.sqrt(var + eps) out = gamma * X_hat + beta return out ``` This approach not only accelerates convergence but also has regularization effects similar to dropout techniques described elsewhere[^2], thereby reducing overfitting risks without additional computational cost per se. Moreover, proper initialization such as Xavier or He can further stabilize early-stage learning dynamics when combined with batch norm mechanisms[^3].