System Tradeoffs

Abstract

The results described in the preceding chapters suggest the utility of connectionist approaches for probabilistic estimation in speech recognition. However, word accuracy is only one measure of a practical speech recognition technique. Any computational method requires resources in the form of storage and communication (memory) bandwidth, as well as the ability to do the required arithmetic. The number of parameters used for a particular technique also has consequences for training. A particular design choice implies some tradeoff between these requirements. Additionally, trained systems such as those considered here may require entirely different resources for training and recognition modes, and these will be traded off in different techniques.

Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily. - William of Occam -