Tensor Networks Meet Neural Networks: A Survey and Future Perspectives
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Abstract (arXiv)
Tensor networks (TNs) and neural networks (NNs) are two fundamental data modeling approaches. TNs were introduced to solve the curse of dimensionality in large-scale tensors by converting an exponential number of dimensions to polynomial complexity. As a result, they have attracted significant attention in the fields of quantum physics and machine learning. Meanwhile, NNs have displayed exceptional performance in various applications, e.g., computer vision, natural language processing, and robotics research. Interestingly, although these two types of networks originate from different observations, they are inherently linked through the typical multilinearity structure underlying both TNs and NNs, thereby motivating a significant number of developments regarding combinations of TNs and NNs. In this paper, we refer to these combinations as tensorial neural networks~(TNNs) and present an introduction to TNNs from both data processing and model architecture perspectives. From the data perspective, we explore the capabilities of TNNs in multi-source fusion, multimodal pooling, data compression, multi-task training, and quantum data processing. From the model perspective, we examine TNNs' integration with various architectures, including Convolutional Neural Networks, Recurrent Neural Networks, Graph Neural Networks, Transformers, Large Language Models, and Quantum Neural Networks. Furthermore, this survey also explores methods for improving TNNs, examines flexible toolboxes for implementing TNNs, and documents TNN development while highlighting potential future directions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive survey that bridges the connections among NNs and TNs. We provide a curated list of TNNs at https://github.com/tnbar/awesome-tensorial-neural-networks.
Key facts. Cited by 29 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 105 of its 290 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 22 Jan 2023.
Builds on
105 of 290 references.
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50 most cited of 105 All 105 (JSON)
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Citing papers per year: 2023: 5; 2024: 8; 2025: 10; 2026: 6.
29 papers.
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- 2024CompactifAI: Extreme Compression of Large Language Models using Quantum-Inspired Tensor Networkscited by 29
- 2023Tensor networks for interpretable and efficient quantum-inspired machine learningcited by 16
- 2023Reusing Pretrained Models by Multi-linear Operators for Efficient Trainingcited by 15
- 2023Quantum-Inspired Machine Learning: a Surveycited by 11
- 2026KromHC: Manifold-Constrained Hyper-Connections with Kronecker-Product Residual Matricescited by 10
- 2023On the Opportunities of Green Computing: A Surveycited by 7
- 2024Quantum Large Language Models via Tensor Network Disentanglerscited by 7
- 2025F-INR: Functional Tensor Decomposition for Implicit Neural Representationscited by 6
- 2025IDInit: A Universal and Stable Initialization Method for Neural Network Trainingcited by 5
- 2025Tensor Network for Anomaly Detection in the Latent Space of Proton Collision Events at the LHCcited by 5
- 2024Ultra-low latency quantum-inspired machine learning predictors implemented on FPGAcited by 4
- 2025tn4ml: Tensor Network Training and Customization for Machine Learningcited by 4
17 more
- 2024Quantum Theory and Application of Contextual Optimal Transportcited by 3
- 2024Cross Space and Time: A Spatio-Temporal Unitized Model for Traffic Flow Forecastingcited by 3
- 2025Tensorization is a powerful but underexplored tool for compression and interpretability of neural networkscited by 3
- 2025MetaLoRA: Tensor-Enhanced Adaptive Low-Rank Fine-tuningcited by 2
- 2023Advocating for the Silent: Enhancing Federated Generalization for Non-Participating Clientscited by 1
- 2024T'ecnicas Quantum-Inspired en Tensor Networks para Contextos Industrialescited by 0
- 2024Subspace Node Pruningcited by 0
- 2024No-Free-Lunch Theories for Tensor-Network Machine Learning Modelscited by 0
- 2025Constructing 3D Rotational Invariance and Equivariance with Symmetric Tensor Networkscited by 0
- 2025Data Understanding Survey: Pursuing Improved Dataset Characterization Via Tensor-based Methodscited by 0
- 2025KARIPAP: Quantum-Inspired Tensor Network Compression of Large Language Models Using Infinite Projected Entangled Pair States and Tensor Renormalization Groupcited by 0
- 2025Tensor Computing Interface: An Application-Oriented, Lightweight Interface for Portable High-Performance Tensor Network Applicationscited by 0
- 2026Tensor-Augmented Convolutional Neural Networks: Enhancing Expressivity with Generic Tensor Kernelscited by 0
- 2026Quantum-inspired tensor networks in machine learning modelscited by 0
- 2026Entanglement is Half the Story: Post-Selection vs. Partial Tracescited by 0
- 2026T-GINEE: A Tensor-Based Multilayer Graph Representation Learningcited by 0
- 2026Automatically Differentiable Nonlinear Tensor Networks (ADNTNs) for Exponential Parameter Compression of Deep Neural Networkscited by 0
- 2026Automatically Differentiable Nonlinear Tensor Networks (ADNTNs) for Exponential Parameter Compression of Deep Neural Networks28 May 2026
- 2026T-GINEE: A Tensor-Based Multilayer Graph Representation Learning27 May 2026
- 2026Entanglement is Half the Story: Post-Selection vs. Partial Traces4 May 2026
- 2026Quantum-inspired tensor networks in machine learning models15 Apr 2026
- 2026Tensor-Augmented Convolutional Neural Networks: Enhancing Expressivity with Generic Tensor Kernels9 Apr 2026
- 2026KromHC: Manifold-Constrained Hyper-Connections with Kronecker-Product Residual Matrices29 Jan 2026
- 2025Tensor Computing Interface: An Application-Oriented, Lightweight Interface for Portable High-Performance Tensor Network Applications30 Dec 2025
- 2025KARIPAP: Quantum-Inspired Tensor Network Compression of Large Language Models Using Infinite Projected Entangled Pair States and Tensor Renormalization Group22 Oct 2025
- 2025Data Understanding Survey: Pursuing Improved Dataset Characterization Via Tensor-based Methods15 Oct 2025
- 2025Constructing 3D Rotational Invariance and Equivariance with Symmetric Tensor Networks18 Aug 2025
- 2025Tensor Network for Anomaly Detection in the Latent Space of Proton Collision Events at the LHC30 May 2025
- 2025Tensorization is a powerful but underexplored tool for compression and interpretability of neural networks26 May 2025
17 more
- 2025MetaLoRA: Tensor-Enhanced Adaptive Low-Rank Fine-tuning1 Apr 2025
- 2025F-INR: Functional Tensor Decomposition for Implicit Neural Representations27 Mar 2025
- 2025IDInit: A Universal and Stable Initialization Method for Neural Network Training6 Mar 2025
- 2025tn4ml: Tensor Network Training and Customization for Machine Learning18 Feb 2025
- 2024No-Free-Lunch Theories for Tensor-Network Machine Learning Models7 Dec 2024
- 2024Cross Space and Time: A Spatio-Temporal Unitized Model for Traffic Flow Forecasting14 Nov 2024
- 2024Quantum Large Language Models via Tensor Network Disentanglers22 Oct 2024
- 2024Ultra-low latency quantum-inspired machine learning predictors implemented on FPGA24 Sep 2024
- 2024Subspace Node Pruning26 May 2024
- 2024T'ecnicas Quantum-Inspired en Tensor Networks para Contextos Industriales8 Mar 2024
- 2024Quantum Theory and Application of Contextual Optimal Transport22 Feb 2024
- 2024CompactifAI: Extreme Compression of Large Language Models using Quantum-Inspired Tensor Networks25 Jan 2024
- 2023Tensor networks for interpretable and efficient quantum-inspired machine learning19 Nov 2023
- 2023On the Opportunities of Green Computing: A Survey1 Nov 2023
- 2023Reusing Pretrained Models by Multi-linear Operators for Efficient Training16 Oct 2023
- 2023Advocating for the Silent: Enhancing Federated Generalization for Non-Participating Clients11 Oct 2023
- 2023Quantum-Inspired Machine Learning: a Survey22 Aug 2023
- 2024CompactifAI: Extreme Compression of Large Language Models using Quantum-Inspired Tensor Networkscited by 29
- 2023Tensor networks for interpretable and efficient quantum-inspired machine learningcited by 16
- 2023Reusing Pretrained Models by Multi-linear Operators for Efficient Trainingcited by 15
- 2023Quantum-Inspired Machine Learning: a Surveycited by 11
- 2026KromHC: Manifold-Constrained Hyper-Connections with Kronecker-Product Residual Matricescited by 10
- 2023On the Opportunities of Green Computing: A Surveycited by 7
- 2024Quantum Large Language Models via Tensor Network Disentanglerscited by 7
- 2025F-INR: Functional Tensor Decomposition for Implicit Neural Representationscited by 6
- 2025IDInit: A Universal and Stable Initialization Method for Neural Network Trainingcited by 5
- 2025Tensor Network for Anomaly Detection in the Latent Space of Proton Collision Events at the LHCcited by 5
- 2024Ultra-low latency quantum-inspired machine learning predictors implemented on FPGAcited by 4
- 2025tn4ml: Tensor Network Training and Customization for Machine Learningcited by 4
12 most cited of 29 All 29 (JSON)
- 2026Automatically Differentiable Nonlinear Tensor Networks (ADNTNs) for Exponential Parameter Compression of Deep Neural Networks28 May 2026
- 2026T-GINEE: A Tensor-Based Multilayer Graph Representation Learning27 May 2026
- 2026Entanglement is Half the Story: Post-Selection vs. Partial Traces4 May 2026
- 2026Quantum-inspired tensor networks in machine learning models15 Apr 2026
- 2026Tensor-Augmented Convolutional Neural Networks: Enhancing Expressivity with Generic Tensor Kernels9 Apr 2026
- 2026KromHC: Manifold-Constrained Hyper-Connections with Kronecker-Product Residual Matrices29 Jan 2026
- 2025Tensor Computing Interface: An Application-Oriented, Lightweight Interface for Portable High-Performance Tensor Network Applications30 Dec 2025
- 2025KARIPAP: Quantum-Inspired Tensor Network Compression of Large Language Models Using Infinite Projected Entangled Pair States and Tensor Renormalization Group22 Oct 2025
- 2025Data Understanding Survey: Pursuing Improved Dataset Characterization Via Tensor-based Methods15 Oct 2025
- 2025Constructing 3D Rotational Invariance and Equivariance with Symmetric Tensor Networks18 Aug 2025
- 2025Tensor Network for Anomaly Detection in the Latent Space of Proton Collision Events at the LHC30 May 2025
- 2025Tensorization is a powerful but underexplored tool for compression and interpretability of neural networks26 May 2025
12 newest of 29 All 29 (JSON)