The Whale Optimization Algorithm Approach for Deep Neural Networks

One of the biggest challenge in the field of deep learning is the parameter selection and optimization process. In recent years different algorithms have been proposed including bio-inspired solutions to solve this problem, however, there are many challenges including local minima, saddle points, and vanishing gradients. In this paper, we introduce the Whale Optimisation Algorithm (WOA) based on the swarm foraging behavior of humpback whales to optimise neural network hyperparameters. We wish to stress that to the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt that uses Whale Optimisation Algorithm for the optimisation task of hyperparameters. After a detailed description of the WOA algorithm we formulate and explain the application in deep learning, present the implementation, and compare the proposed algorithm with other well-known algorithms including widely used Grid and Random Search methods. Additionally, we have implemented a third dimension feature analysis to the original WOA algorithm to utilize 3D search space (3D-WOA). Simulations show that the proposed algorithm can be successfully used for hyperparameters optimization, achieving accuracy of 89.85% and 80.60% for Fashion MNIST and Reuters datasets, respectively.