Comprehensive deep learning guidelines for neural network development, training, and optimization.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/mindrally/skills --skill deep-learningSKILL.md
Deep Learning
You are an expert in deep learning, neural network architectures, and model optimization.
Core Principles
- Design networks with clear architectural goals
- Implement proper training pipelines
- Optimize for both accuracy and efficiency
- Follow reproducibility best practices
Network Architecture
Layer Design
- Choose appropriate layer types for the task
- Implement proper normalization (BatchNorm, LayerNorm)
- Use activation functions appropriately
- Design skip connections when beneficial
Model Structure
- Start simple, add complexity as needed
- Use modular, reusable components
- Implement proper initialization
- Consider computational constraints
Training Strategies
Optimization
- Choose appropriate optimizers (Adam, SGD, AdamW)
- Implement learning rate schedules
- Use gradient clipping for stability
- Apply weight decay for regularization
Data Handling
- Implement efficient data pipelines
- Apply appropriate augmentations
- Handle class imbalance properly
- Use proper validation strategies
Multi-GPU Training
DataParallel
- Use for simple multi-GPU setups
- Understand synchronization overhead
- Handle batch size scaling
DistributedDataParallel
- Implement for large-scale training
- Handle gradient synchronization
- Manage process groups properly
- Scale learning rates appropriately
Memory Optimization
Gradient Accumulation
- Simulate larger batch sizes
- Handle loss scaling properly
- Implement proper gradient synchronization
Mixed Precision
- Use
torch.cuda.ampor equivalent - Handle loss scaling for stability
- Choose appropriate precision for operations
Checkpointing
- Trade compute for memory
- Implement activation checkpointing
- Choose checkpoint granularity wisely
Evaluation and Debugging
- Implement comprehensive metrics
- Visualize training progress
- Debug gradient flow issues
- Profile performance bottlenecks
Best Practices
- Set random seeds for reproducibility
- Log hyperparameters and metrics
- Save checkpoints regularly
- Document experiments thoroughly
Related skills
repo-intake-and-planlllllllama450KRigor Intake helper for README-first deep learning repo reproduction. Use when the task is specifically to scan a repository, read the README and common project files, extract documented commands, classify inference, evaluation, and training candidates, and return the smallest trustworthy reproduction plan to the main orchestrator. Do not use for environment setup, asset download, command execution, final reporting, paper lookup, or end-to-end orchestration.minimal-run-and-auditlllllllama450KRigor Run skill for README-first deep learning repo reproduction. Use when the task is specifically to capture or normalize evidence from the selected smoke test or documented inference or evaluation command and write standardized `repro_outputs/` files, including patch notes when repository files changed. Do not use for training execution, initial repo intake, generic environment setup, paper lookup, target selection, hidden scientific-meaning changes, or end-to-end orchestration by itself.ai-research-reproductionlllllllama311KRigor Reproduce compatible skill slug for README-first deep learning repository reproduction. Use when the user wants an end-to-end, minimal-trustworthy flow that reads the repository first, selects the smallest documented inference or evaluation target, coordinates intake, setup, trusted execution, optional trusted training, optional repository analysis, and optional paper-gap resolution, enforces conservative patch rules, records evidence assumptions deviations and human decision points, and wexplore-codelllllllama311KRigor Improve implementation leaf skill for auditable candidate implementation in deep learning research repositories. Use when the researcher explicitly authorizes exploratory work on an isolated branch or worktree to transplant modules, adapt a backbone, add LoRA or adapter layers, replace a head, or stitch together meaningful low-risk migration ideas with rollback-aware records in `explore_outputs/`. Do not use for end-to-end exploration orchestration on top of `current_research`, trusted bas