On neural networks for generating better local optima in topology optimization

Abstract Neural networks have recently been employed as material discretizations within adjoint optimization frameworks for inverse problems and topology optimization. While advantageous regularization effects and better optima have been found for some inverse problems, the benefit for topology optimization has been limited—where the focus of investigations has been the compliance problem. We demonstrate how neural network material discretizations can, under certain conditions, find better local optima in more challenging optimization problems, where we here specifically consider acoustic topology optimization. The chances of identifying a better optimum can significantly be improved by running multiple partial optimizations with different neural network initializations. Furthermore, we show that the neural network material discretization’s advantage comes from the interplay with the Adam optimizer and emphasize its current limitations when competing with constrained and higher-order optimization techniques. At the moment, this discretization has only been shown to be beneficial for unconstrained first-order optimization.