Convolutional Neural Networks: A Comprehensive Evaluation and Benchmarking of Pooling Layer Variants

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are a class of deep neural networks that have proven highly effective in areas such as image and video recognition. CNNs typically include several types of layers, such as convolutional layers, activation layers, pooling layers, and fully connected layers, all of which contribute to the network’s ability to recognize patterns and features. The pooling layer, which often follows the convolutional layer, is crucial for reducing computational complexity by performing down-sampling while maintaining essential features. This layer’s role in balancing the symmetry of information across the network is vital for optimal performance. However, the choice of pooling method is often based on intuition, which can lead to less accurate or efficient results. This research compares various standard pooling methods (MAX and AVERAGE pooling) on standard datasets (MNIST, CIFAR-10, and CIFAR-100) to determine the most effective approach in preserving detail, performance, and overall computational efficiency while maintaining the symmetry necessary for robust CNN performance.