Optimal Neural Network Approximation via Empirical Least Squares with Deterministic Samples

Abstract

We develop a rigorous theory of discrete residual least-squares approximation for elliptic spectral equations $\mathfrak L_\beta u=f$ using linearized ReLU$^k$ neural networks on the sphere, where $\mathfrak L_\beta$ is a positive elliptic spectral multiplier of order $\beta$. Given a parameter set $\Theta_n=\{\theta_{j}^*\}_{j=1}^n\subset\mathbb S^d$, we approximate $u$ in the linearized network space $L_n^k(\Theta_n)$ by the discrete residual on the collocation points $\{\eta_i^*\}_{i=1}^m$ \begin{equation*} u_{n,m}\in\arg\min_{v_n\in L_n^k(\Theta_n)}\frac1m\sum_{i=1}^m\left(f(\eta_i^*)-\mathfrak L_\beta v_n(\eta_i^*)\right)^2. \end{equation*} With $k>\frac{d-1}{2}+\beta$, for antipodally quasi-uniform network parameter sets and any quasi-uniform collocation points with $m\gtrsim n$, we prove that \begin{equation*} \|u-u_{n,m}\|_{\mathcal H^{\beta}(\mathbb S^d)}\eqsim\|f-\mathfrak L_\beta u_{n,m}\|_{\mathcal L^2(\mathbb S^d)}\lesssim n^{-\frac{r}{d}} \begin{cases} \|f\|_{\mathcal W^{r,p}(\mathbb S^d)},&\frac{d}{p}<r\leq \frac{d}{2},~p>2,\\ \|f\|_{\mathcal H^r(\mathbb S^d)},&r>\frac{d}{2}. \end{cases} \end{equation*} We also establish a high-probability residual estimate, up to a logarithmic factor and an arbitrarily small smoothness loss, for i.i.d.\ uniformly distributed collocation points. The key analytical ingredient is a Bernstein inequality for linearized ReLU$^k$ network spaces. If $\underline h$ denotes the antipodal separation distance of the network parameters, then \begin{equation*} \|v_n\|_{\mathcal H^r(\mathbb S^d)}\lesssim\underline h^{-(r-s)}\|v_n\|_{\mathcal H^s(\mathbb S^d)},\qquad 0\leq s<r<k+\tfrac12. \end{equation*}