keras3

Keras3 Deep Learning in R

Overview

Keras3 is a modern deep learning API for R that provides a high-level interface for building and training neural networks. It represents a complete rewrite of Keras 2.x with a revolutionary multi-backend architecture.

What is Keras3?

Keras3 is the third generation of Keras, designed as a unified API that works seamlessly with TensorFlow, JAX, and PyTorch backends. The R implementation (keras3 package) provides idiomatic R interfaces while maintaining full compatibility with the Python Keras ecosystem.

Latest Version: 1.5.1 (February 2026)

Multi-Backend Philosophy

Unlike previous versions tied to TensorFlow, Keras3 lets you switch backends dynamically:

library(keras3)

# Choose your backend
config_set_backend("tensorflow")  # Default, production-ready
config_set_backend("jax")         # Fast, functional programming style
config_set_backend("torch")       # PyTorch ecosystem integration

This means you can develop with one backend and deploy with another, or benchmark different backends for your specific workload.

When to Use Keras3

Use Keras3 when you want:

• High-level, intuitive API for rapid prototyping
• Multi-backend flexibility (TensorFlow/JAX/PyTorch)
• Rich ecosystem of preprocessing layers (audio, image, text)
• 30+ pretrained models for transfer learning
• Built-in training loop with callbacks
• Keras-native preprocessing without external dependencies

Consider alternatives:

• torch (via r-deeplearning): Direct PyTorch control, custom autograd, research flexibility
• r-tensorflow: Low-level TensorFlow operations, SavedModel deployment, TensorFlow Serving

For detailed framework comparison, see the r-deeplearning skill.

Key Differentiators from Keras 2.x

1. Multi-backend support: Not tied to TensorFlow
2. Modern preprocessing layers: Audio (Mel-spectrogram, STFT), advanced image augmentation
3. Improved subclassing API: Cleaner custom layer/model creation
4. Better serialization: Universal .keras format across backends
5. Enhanced R integration: Pipe operator support, idiomatic patterns

Core Concepts

Keras3 offers three APIs for model building, from simplest to most flexible.

Sequential API

The Sequential API builds models as a linear stack of layers. Best for simple architectures without branching or skip connections.

Pattern:

library(keras3)

model <- keras_model_sequential(input_shape = c(784)) |>
  layer_dense(units = 128, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(rate = 0.2) |>
  layer_dense(units = 64, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dense(units = 10, activation = "softmax")

model |> compile(
  optimizer = optimizer_adam(),
  loss = loss_categorical_crossentropy(),
  metrics = c(metric_accuracy())
)

Key points:

• Use pipe operator (|>) for fluent chaining
• Specify input_shape in first layer or keras_model_sequential(input_shape = ...)
• Layers execute in order: input → layer_1 → layer_2 → ... → output

When to use:

• Feedforward networks (MLP)
• Simple CNNs
• Basic RNNs/LSTMs
• Any single-input, single-output sequential architecture

Functional API

The Functional API builds models as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). Enables complex architectures with multiple inputs/outputs, skip connections, and branching.

Pattern:

# Define inputs
main_input <- keras_input(shape = c(100), name = "main_input")
auxiliary_input <- keras_input(shape = c(5), name = "aux_input")

# Build graph
x <- main_input |>
  layer_dense(64, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dense(64, activation = "relu")

# Merge branches
merged <- layer_concatenate(list(x, auxiliary_input))

# Multiple outputs
main_output <- merged |>
  layer_dense(32, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dense(1, activation = "sigmoid", name = "main_output")

auxiliary_output <- x |>
  layer_dense(1, activation = "sigmoid", name = "aux_output")

# Create model
model <- keras_model(
  inputs = list(main_input, auxiliary_input),
  outputs = list(main_output, auxiliary_output)
)

Key points:

• Use keras_input() to define input tensors
• Treat layers as functions: output <- input |> layer_dense(...)
• Create model with keras_model(inputs = ..., outputs = ...)
• Supports skip connections (ResNet-style), multi-head, encoder-decoder

When to use:

• Multi-input models (images + metadata)
• Multi-output models (multiple prediction tasks)
• Residual connections (ResNet, DenseNet)
• Encoder-decoder architectures (autoencoders, seq2seq)
• Any non-sequential topology

Example: Skip connection (ResNet-style)

input <- keras_input(shape = c(32, 32, 3))

x <- input |>
  layer_conv_2d(64, 3, padding = "same", activation = "relu")

# Skip connection
residual <- x

x <- x |>
  layer_conv_2d(64, 3, padding = "same", activation = "relu") |>
  layer_conv_2d(64, 3, padding = "same")

# Add residual
x <- layer_add(list(x, residual)) |>
  layer_activation("relu")

output <- x |> layer_flatten() |> layer_dense(10, activation = "softmax")

model <- keras_model(inputs = input, outputs = output)

Model Subclassing

Model Subclassing provides full control for research and custom training logic. Inherit from Model() and define forward pass in call() method.

Pattern:

CustomModel <- new_model_class(
  classname = "CustomModel",

  initialize = function(num_classes = 10) {
    super$initialize()
    self$dense1 <- layer_dense(units = 64, activation = "relu")
    self$dense2 <- layer_dense(units = 32, activation = "relu")
    self$output_layer <- layer_dense(units = num_classes, activation = "softmax")
  },

  call = function(inputs, training = FALSE) {
    inputs |>
      self$dense1() |>
      self$dense2() |>
      self$output_layer()
  }
)

model <- CustomModel(num_classes = 10)

Key points:

• initialize() creates layers (deferred weight creation)
• call() defines forward pass logic
• training argument enables different behavior (dropout, batch norm)
• Use super$initialize() to call parent constructor

When to use:

• Custom architectures not expressible with Functional API
• Research models with complex control flow
• Dynamic computation graphs
• Custom training loops with manual gradient computation

For complete examples, see examples/custom-layers-models.md.

Preprocessing Ecosystem

Keras3 includes a comprehensive preprocessing layer ecosystem for audio, image, text, and tabular data. These layers can be included directly in models, making preprocessing part of the model graph.

Key benefit: Preprocessing becomes part of the saved model, eliminating train/serve skew.

Audio/Spectral Processing

# Mel-spectrogram conversion
input <- keras_input(shape = c(16000))  # 1 second at 16kHz

spectrogram <- input |>
  layer_mel_spectrogram(
    num_mel_bins = 128,
    frame_length = 2048,
    frame_step = 512,
    fft_length = 2048,
    sampling_rate = 16000
  )

# STFT spectrogram
stft_spec <- input |>
  layer_stft_spectrogram(
    frame_length = 2048,
    frame_step = 512,
    fft_length = 2048
  )

Image Processing

# Preprocessing and augmentation pipeline
preprocessing <- keras_model_sequential() |>
  layer_rescaling(scale = 1/255) |>
  layer_random_flip("horizontal") |>
  layer_random_rotation(0.2) |>
  layer_random_zoom(0.2) |>
  layer_random_crop(height = 224, width = 224)

Text Processing

# Text vectorization
text_vectorizer <- layer_text_vectorization(
  max_tokens = 10000,
  output_mode = "int",
  output_sequence_length = 100
)

# Adapt to training data
text_vectorizer |> adapt(train_texts)

# Use in model
input <- keras_input(shape = c(1), dtype = "string")
embedded <- input |>
  text_vectorizer() |>
  layer_embedding(input_dim = 10000, output_dim = 128)

Categorical Processing

# Category encoding
layer_category_encoding(num_tokens = 5, output_mode = "one_hot")

# Hashing for high cardinality
layer_hashing(num_bins = 1000)

# String lookup
lookup <- layer_string_lookup(vocabulary = c("cat", "dog", "bird"))

Numerical Processing

# Normalization (fit to training data)
normalizer <- layer_normalization(axis = -1)
normalizer |> adapt(train_data)

# Discretization (binning)
layer_discretization(bin_boundaries = c(0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0))

Advanced Augmentation

# RandAugment (automatic augmentation policy)
layer_rand_augment(
  value_range = c(0, 255),
  augmentations_per_image = 3,
  magnitude = 0.5
)

# MixUp augmentation
layer_mix_up(alpha = 0.2)

# CutMix augmentation
layer_cut_mix(alpha = 1.0)

For complete preprocessing layers catalog with examples, see references/preprocessing-layers.md.

Keras Applications & Transfer Learning

Keras3 provides 30+ pretrained models for computer vision, trained on ImageNet. These models are the foundation for transfer learning.

Available Architectures

Popular families:

• ResNet: ResNet50, ResNet101, ResNet152, ResNetV2 variants
• EfficientNet: EfficientNetB0-B7, EfficientNetV2
• MobileNet: MobileNetV2, MobileNetV3
• ConvNeXt: ConvNeXtTiny, ConvNeXtSmall, ConvNeXtBase
• DenseNet: DenseNet121, DenseNet169, DenseNet201
• VGG: VGG16, VGG19
• Inception: InceptionV3, InceptionResNetV2
• Xception: Xception

Transfer Learning Pattern

Standard workflow: freeze base → train head → fine-tune

library(keras3)

# Load pretrained model (without top classification layer)
base_model <- application_resnet50(
  include_top = FALSE,
  weights = "imagenet",
  input_shape = c(224, 224, 3),
  pooling = "avg"
)

# Freeze base model weights
base_model$trainable <- FALSE

# Add custom classification head
inputs <- keras_input(shape = c(224, 224, 3))
x <- inputs |>
  base_model() |>
  layer_dense(256, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(0.5) |>
  layer_dense(10, activation = "softmax")  # Custom number of classes

model <- keras_model(inputs = inputs, outputs = x)

# Train only the head
model |> compile(
  optimizer = optimizer_adam(learning_rate = 1e-3),
  loss = loss_categorical_crossentropy(),
  metrics = c(metric_accuracy())
)

model |> fit(train_data, epochs = 10, validation_data = val_data)

# Fine-tune: unfreeze some layers
base_model$trainable <- TRUE
freeze_weights(base_model, from = 1, to = 143)  # Freeze early layers

model |> compile(
  optimizer = optimizer_adam(learning_rate = 1e-5),  # Lower LR
  loss = loss_categorical_crossentropy(),
  metrics = c(metric_accuracy())
)

model |> fit(train_data, epochs = 5, validation_data = val_data)

Preprocessing for Applications

Each application has a specific preprocessing function:

# Load image
img <- image_load("photo.jpg", target_size = c(224, 224))
img_array <- image_to_array(img)
img_array <- array_reshape(img_array, c(1, 224, 224, 3))

# Preprocess for specific architecture
preprocessed <- application_resnet50_preprocess_input(img_array)

# Or generic
preprocessed <- application_preprocess_inputs(img_array, mode = "caffe")

For complete applications guide with architecture details, see references/keras-applications.md.

Training & Compilation

Compile: Define Optimization Strategy

model |> compile(
  optimizer = optimizer_adam(learning_rate = 0.001),
  loss = loss_sparse_categorical_crossentropy(),
  metrics = c(metric_accuracy(), metric_top_k_categorical_accuracy(k = 5))
)

Common optimizers:

• optimizer_adam(): Adaptive learning rate, momentum, good default
• optimizer_sgd(momentum = 0.9): Stochastic gradient descent with momentum
• optimizer_rmsprop(): RMSprop for recurrent networks
• optimizer_adamw(): Adam with weight decay (better generalization)

Common losses:

• loss_categorical_crossentropy(): One-hot encoded labels
• loss_sparse_categorical_crossentropy(): Integer labels
• loss_binary_crossentropy(): Binary classification
• loss_mean_squared_error(): Regression
• loss_mean_absolute_error(): Regression, robust to outliers

Common metrics:

• metric_accuracy(): Classification accuracy
• metric_auc(): Area under ROC curve
• metric_precision(), metric_recall(): Precision/recall
• metric_mean_absolute_error(): Regression MAE

Fit: Train the Model

history <- model |> fit(
  x = train_data,
  y = train_labels,
  epochs = 50,
  batch_size = 32,
  validation_split = 0.2,  # Or validation_data = list(val_x, val_y)
  callbacks = list(
    callback_early_stopping(patience = 5, restore_best_weights = TRUE),
    callback_model_checkpoint("best_model.keras", save_best_only = TRUE)
  ),
  verbose = 1
)

# Plot training history
plot(history)

Evaluate: Test Performance

results <- model |> evaluate(test_data, test_labels)
cat("Test loss:", results$loss, "\n")
cat("Test accuracy:", results$accuracy, "\n")

Predict: Generate Predictions

# Batch prediction
predictions <- model |> predict(test_data)

# Single sample
single_pred <- model |> predict(array_reshape(sample, c(1, dim(sample))))

# With named outputs (multi-output models)
preds <- model |> predict(test_data)
main_pred <- preds$main_output
aux_pred <- preds$aux_output

Advanced Topics

Custom Layers

Create custom layers by subclassing Layer() with build() for weight creation and call() for forward pass.

CustomDense <- new_layer_class(
  classname = "CustomDense",

  initialize = function(units = 32, ...) {
    super$initialize(...)
    self$units <- units
  },

  build = function(input_shape) {
    # Deferred weight creation (input shape known)
    self$w <- self$add_weight(
      shape = list(input_shape[[2]], self$units),
      initializer = "random_normal",
      trainable = TRUE,
      name = "kernel"
    )
    self$b <- self$add_weight(
      shape = list(self$units),
      initializer = "zeros",
      trainable = TRUE,
      name = "bias"
    )
  },

  call = function(inputs) {
    op_matmul(inputs, self$w) + self$b
  }
)

# Use in model
model <- keras_model_sequential() |>
  CustomDense(units = 64) |>
  layer_activation("relu") |>
  layer_dense(10, activation = "softmax")

Key patterns:

• build() is called automatically on first forward pass
• Use self$add_weight() to create trainable parameters
• call() receives inputs and returns outputs
• super$initialize() calls parent constructor

For complete custom layer examples, see examples/custom-layers-models.md.

Custom Training Loops

For research or custom training logic, implement manual training loops with gradient tape.

# Define loss and optimizer
loss_fn <- loss_sparse_categorical_crossentropy()
optimizer <- optimizer_adam()

# Training step
train_step <- function(x, y) {
  with(tf$GradientTape() %as% tape, {
    predictions <- model(x, training = TRUE)
    loss <- loss_fn(y, predictions)
  })

  gradients <- tape$gradient(loss, model$trainable_variables)
  optimizer$apply(gradients, model$trainable_variables)

  loss
}

# Training loop
for (epoch in 1:epochs) {
  losses <- c()

  for (batch in train_dataset) {
    c(x, y) %<-% batch
    loss <- train_step(x, y)
    losses <- c(losses, as.numeric(loss))
  }

  cat("Epoch", epoch, "- Loss:", mean(losses), "\n")
}

Key components:

• tf$GradientTape(): Records operations for autodiff
• tape$gradient(): Computes gradients
• optimizer$apply(): Updates weights
• Manual metric tracking and logging

For complete custom training loop examples, see templates/custom-training-loop.R and references/advanced-patterns.md.

Callbacks

Callbacks provide hooks into the training process for monitoring, checkpointing, and dynamic behavior.

callbacks <- list(
  # Stop training when validation loss stops improving
  callback_early_stopping(
    monitor = "val_loss",
    patience = 5,
    restore_best_weights = TRUE
  ),

  # Save best model
  callback_model_checkpoint(
    filepath = "best_model.keras",
    monitor = "val_accuracy",
    save_best_only = TRUE
  ),

  # Reduce learning rate on plateau
  callback_reduce_lr_on_plateau(
    monitor = "val_loss",
    factor = 0.5,
    patience = 3,
    min_lr = 1e-7
  ),

  # TensorBoard logging
  callback_tensorboard(
    log_dir = "logs",
    histogram_freq = 1
  )
)

model |> fit(
  train_data, train_labels,
  epochs = 100,
  validation_split = 0.2,
  callbacks = callbacks
)

Custom callbacks:

CustomCallback <- new_callback_class(
  classname = "CustomCallback",

  on_epoch_end = function(epoch, logs = NULL) {
    cat(sprintf("Epoch %d: loss = %.4f\n", epoch, logs$loss))
  },

  on_train_end = function(logs = NULL) {
    cat("Training completed!\n")
  }
)

callback <- CustomCallback()

For complete callbacks reference, see references/callbacks-reference.md.

Multi-Backend Support

Keras3's revolutionary feature: seamless backend switching between TensorFlow, JAX, and PyTorch.

Backend Selection

library(keras3)

# Set backend before first keras operation
config_set_backend("tensorflow")  # Default
config_set_backend("jax")
config_set_backend("torch")

# Check current backend
config_backend()

Backend Comparison

Backend	Strengths	Use Cases
TensorFlow	Production-ready, TF ecosystem, TF Serving	Deployment, serving, mature tooling
JAX	Fast, functional, XLA compilation, TPU-optimized	Research, TPU training, numerical computing
PyTorch	Debugging, dynamic graphs, torch ecosystem	Development, eager execution, PyTorch integration

Backend-Specific Optimizations

JAX: Functional programming, JIT compilation

config_set_backend("jax")

# JAX benefits from static shapes and pure functions
model <- keras_model_sequential() |>
  layer_dense(128, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dense(10, activation = "softmax")

# JAX will JIT-compile the model for faster execution

TensorFlow: Graph optimization, SavedModel export

config_set_backend("tensorflow")

# TensorFlow benefits from tf.function and AutoGraph
# Ideal for production deployment with TF Serving

PyTorch: Dynamic computation, debugging

config_set_backend("torch")

# PyTorch ideal for development with easy debugging
# Direct access to PyTorch tensors and operations

For complete backend guide with performance comparisons, see references/backend-guide.md.

R-Specific Patterns

Keras3 for R provides idiomatic interfaces that feel natural to R users.

Pipe Operator Integration

# Native R pipe (|>) fully supported
model <- keras_model_sequential(input_shape = c(784)) |>
  layer_dense(128, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(0.2) |>
  layer_dense(10, activation = "softmax")

Array Reshaping: Use array_reshape()

IMPORTANT: Always use array_reshape(), NOT dim<-() assignment.

# Correct
x <- array_reshape(x, c(nrow(x), 28, 28, 1))

# Wrong (breaks gradient tracking)
dim(x) <- c(nrow(x), 28, 28, 1)

List Unpacking with %<-%

# Unpack list elements
c(x_train, y_train) %<-% dataset$train
c(x_test, y_test) %<-% dataset$test

# Unpack batch in training loop
for (batch in dataset) {
  c(images, labels) %<-% batch
  # Process batch
}

Named Lists for Multi-Output

# Multi-output model training
model |> fit(
  x = list(
    main_input = x_train_main,
    aux_input = x_train_aux
  ),
  y = list(
    main_output = y_train_main,
    aux_output = y_train_aux
  ),
  epochs = 10
)

Anonymous Functions

# Modern R anonymous function syntax
layer_lambda(\(x) x^2)

# Or traditional
layer_lambda(function(x) x^2)

Model Serialization

Save and Load Complete Models

Recommended: Use .keras format (cross-backend compatible)

# Save entire model (architecture + weights + optimizer state)
model |> save_model("my_model.keras")

# Load model
loaded_model <- load_model("my_model.keras")

# Ready to use immediately
predictions <- loaded_model |> predict(test_data)

Save Weights Only

# Save weights
model |> save_model_weights("model_weights.weights.h5")

# Load weights (model architecture must match)
model |> load_model_weights("model_weights.weights.h5")

Configuration-Based Serialization

# Get model configuration
config <- get_config(model)

# Save config (JSON-serializable)
jsonlite::write_json(config, "model_config.json")

# Recreate model from config
config <- jsonlite::read_json("model_config.json")
model_new <- from_config(config)

Custom Objects Registration

For custom layers/models, register them for serialization:

# Save with custom objects
model |> save_model("custom_model.keras")

# Load with custom objects
loaded_model <- load_model(
  "custom_model.keras",
  custom_objects = list(
    CustomLayer = CustomLayer,
    CustomModel = CustomModel
  )
)

For deployment patterns and SavedModel export, see examples/deployment-comparison.md. For TensorFlow-specific deployment, refer to the r-tensorflow skill.

Domain Applications

Vision: Image Classification

Simple CNN with Sequential API:

model <- keras_model_sequential(input_shape = c(28, 28, 1)) |>
  layer_conv_2d(filters = 32, kernel_size = c(3, 3), activation = "relu") |>
  layer_max_pooling_2d(pool_size = c(2, 2)) |>
  layer_conv_2d(filters = 64, kernel_size = c(3, 3), activation = "relu") |>
  layer_max_pooling_2d(pool_size = c(2, 2)) |>
  layer_flatten() |>
  layer_dense(128, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(0.5) |>
  layer_dense(10, activation = "softmax")

Transfer learning with data augmentation:

# Include augmentation in model
input <- keras_input(shape = c(224, 224, 3))

augmented <- input |>
  layer_random_flip("horizontal") |>
  layer_random_rotation(0.1) |>
  layer_random_zoom(0.1)

base_model <- application_efficientnet_b0(
  include_top = FALSE,
  weights = "imagenet",
  input_tensor = augmented,
  pooling = "avg"
)

base_model$trainable <- FALSE

output <- base_model$output |>
  layer_dense(256, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(0.5) |>
  layer_dense(num_classes, activation = "softmax")

model <- keras_model(inputs = input, outputs = output)

NLP: Text Classification

# Text preprocessing in model
input <- keras_input(shape = c(1), dtype = "string", name = "text")

# Vectorize and embed
vectorizer <- layer_text_vectorization(
  max_tokens = 10000,
  output_sequence_length = 100
)
vectorizer |> adapt(train_texts)

x <- input |>
  vectorizer() |>
  layer_embedding(input_dim = 10000, output_dim = 128) |>
  layer_lstm(64) |>
  layer_dense(64, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(0.5) |>
  layer_dense(num_classes, activation = "softmax")

model <- keras_model(inputs = input, outputs = x)

model |> compile(
  optimizer = optimizer_adam(),
  loss = loss_sparse_categorical_crossentropy(),
  metrics = c(metric_accuracy())
)

For complete NLP patterns including attention mechanisms, see examples/nlp-patterns.md.

Audio: Audio Classification

Keras3-native audio classification using layer_mel_spectrogram() (no torch dependency):

# Audio preprocessing directly in model
input <- keras_input(shape = c(16000), name = "audio")  # 1 second at 16kHz

# Convert to Mel-spectrogram
spectrogram <- input |>
  layer_mel_spectrogram(
    num_mel_bins = 128,
    frame_length = 2048,
    frame_step = 512,
    fft_length = 2048,
    sampling_rate = 16000
  ) |>
  layer_normalization()

# CNN on spectrogram
x <- spectrogram |>
  layer_conv_2d(32, c(3, 3), activation = "relu", padding = "same") |>
  layer_max_pooling_2d(c(2, 2)) |>
  layer_conv_2d(64, c(3, 3), activation = "relu", padding = "same") |>
  layer_max_pooling_2d(c(2, 2)) |>
  layer_flatten() |>
  layer_dense(128, activation = "relu") |>
  layer_dropout(0.5) |>
  layer_dense(num_classes, activation = "softmax")

model <- keras_model(inputs = input, outputs = x)

For complete audio classification examples, see examples/audio-classification.md.

Time Series: Forecasting

# LSTM for time series
model <- keras_model_sequential(input_shape = c(window_size, num_features)) |>
  layer_lstm(64, return_sequences = TRUE) |>
  layer_dropout(0.2) |>
  layer_lstm(32) |>
  layer_dropout(0.2) |>
  layer_dense(1)  # Forecast next value

model |> compile(
  optimizer = optimizer_adam(learning_rate = 0.001),
  loss = loss_mean_squared_error(),
  metrics = c(metric_mean_absolute_error())
)

# GRU alternative (faster, similar performance)
model <- keras_model_sequential(input_shape = c(window_size, num_features)) |>
  layer_gru(64, return_sequences = TRUE) |>
  layer_dropout(0.2) |>
  layer_gru(32) |>
  layer_dense(1)

Integration with Other Skills

r-tensorflow Skill

When to use r-tensorflow:

• TensorFlow backend infrastructure setup (GPU configuration, CUDA)
• SavedModel deployment for TensorFlow Serving
• Low-level TensorFlow operations (tf$* functions)
• TFRecord data pipelines
• TensorFlow Lite export

Pattern: Use keras3 for model building, defer to r-tensorflow for TensorFlow-specific deployment.

r-deeplearning Skill

When to use r-deeplearning:

• Framework comparison (keras3 vs torch vs tensorflow)
• Decision guidance on which framework to use
• General deep learning concepts and paradigms

Pattern: Reference r-deeplearning for strategic framework decisions, then use keras3 for implementation.

learning-paradigms Skill

When to use learning-paradigms:

• Transfer learning conceptual guidance
• Learning paradigm selection (supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement)
• Meta-learning and few-shot learning patterns

Pattern: Use learning-paradigms for high-level strategy, keras3 for implementation.

Supporting Files

This skill includes comprehensive supporting documentation:

Examples

• examples/functional-api-advanced.md: Complex Functional API patterns (multi-input/output, skip connections, encoder-decoder)
• examples/custom-layers-models.md: Custom layer and model subclassing with complete examples
• examples/audio-classification.md: Keras3-native audio classification using Mel-spectrogram layers
• examples/nlp-patterns.md: Text classification, embeddings, LSTMs, attention mechanisms
• examples/deployment-comparison.md: Model serialization and deployment strategies

References

• references/preprocessing-layers.md: Complete catalog of preprocessing layers (audio, image, text, categorical, numerical, augmentation)
• references/keras-applications.md: 30+ pretrained model architectures with transfer learning patterns
• references/backend-guide.md: Multi-backend comparison, selection guide, performance characteristics
• references/callbacks-reference.md: Complete callbacks documentation with custom callback patterns
• references/advanced-patterns.md: Custom training loops, gradient manipulation, advanced techniques

Templates

• templates/simple-classifier.R: Template for basic image/tabular classification
• templates/custom-training-loop.R: Template for manual training loop with gradient tape

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Note: This skill focuses on keras3-first patterns. For TensorFlow backend infrastructure (GPU setup, SavedModel export, TF Serving), defer to the r-tensorflow skill. For framework comparison and decision guidance, reference the r-deeplearning skill.