A Model for Learning-Curve Estimation in Efficient Neural Architecture Search and Its Application in Predictive Health Maintenance

Abstract

A persistent challenge in machine learning is the computational inefficiency of neural architecture search (NAS), particularly in resource-constrained domains like predictive maintenance. This work introduces a novel learning-curve estimation framework that reduces NAS computational costs by over 50% while maintaining model performance, addressing a critical bottleneck in automated machine learning design. By developing a data-driven estimator trained on 62 different predictive maintenance datasets, we demonstrate a generalized approach to early-stopping trials during neural network optimization. Our methodology not only reduces computational resources but also provides a transferable technique for efficient neural network architecture exploration across complex industrial monitoring tasks. The proposed approach achieves a remarkable balance between computational efficiency and model performance, with only a 2% performance degradation, showcasing a significant advancement in automated neural architecture optimization strategies.