# Multi-dimensional training-priority weighting based on physical information propagation paths: a unified residual-weighting framework for physics-informed neural networks

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.11094 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.11094/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 22 of its 48 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 13 Jul 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 22 of 22)

- [Neural Tangent Kernel: Convergence and Generalization in Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.07572/) (2018)
- [Automatic differentiation in machine learning: a survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1502.05767/) (2015)
- [GradNorm: Gradient Normalization for Adaptive Loss Balancing in Deep Multitask Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.02257/) (2017)
- [Wide Neural Networks of Any Depth Evolve as Linear Models Under Gradient Descent](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1902.06720/) (2019)
- [When and why PINNs fail to train: A neural tangent kernel perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.14527/) (2020)
- [DeepXDE: A deep learning library for solving differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.04502/) (2019)
- [Scientific Machine Learning through Physics-Informed Neural Networks: Where we are and What's next](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.05624/) (2022)
- [hp-VPINNs: Variational Physics-Informed Neural Networks With Domain Decomposition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.05385/) (2020)
- [A comprehensive study of non-adaptive and residual-based adaptive sampling for physics-informed neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.10289/) (2022)
- [Self-Adaptive Physics-Informed Neural Networks using a Soft Attention Mechanism](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2009.04544/) (2020)
- [Finite Basis Physics-Informed Neural Networks (FBPINNs): a scalable domain decomposition approach for solving differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.07871/) (2021)
- [Exact imposition of boundary conditions with distance functions in physics-informed deep neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.08426/) (2021)
- [Parallel Physics-Informed Neural Networks via Domain Decomposition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.10013/) (2021)
- [Multi-Objective Loss Balancing for Physics-Informed Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.09813/) (2021)
- [Mitigating Propagation Failures in Physics-informed Neural Networks using Retain-Resample-Release (R3) Sampling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.02338/) (2022)
- [Residual-based attention in physics-informed neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.00379/) (2023)
- [DAS-PINNs: A deep adaptive sampling method for solving high-dimensional partial differential equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.14038/) (2021)
- [PINNsFormer: A Transformer-Based Framework For Physics-Informed Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.11833/) (2023)
- [Quadratic Residual Networks: A New Class of Neural Networks for Solving Forward and Inverse Problems in Physics Involving PDEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.08366/) (2021)
- [Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Time-Domain Simulations: Accuracy, Computational Cost, and Flexibility](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.08994/) (2023)
- [Self-adaptive weighting and sampling for physics-informed neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.05452/) (2025)
- [Boundary condition enforcement with PINNs: a comparative study and verification on 3D geometries](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.14941/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) have shown promise for solving partial differential equations (PDEs); however, their synchronous optimization treats residuals of different regions and constraints equally, which is inconsistent with the progressive "from source to response" physical information propagation path, degrading training stability and accuracy. Existing causal training methods focus mainly on the temporal dimension, lacking a unified characterization of spatial and boundary dimensions. To address this, we define a unified class of training priorities according to the physical information propagation path: premise regions should be learned before dependent regions; temporal, spatial, and boundary priorities are instances of this principle. Using neural tangent kernel (NTK) dynamics, we theoretically analyze why standard PINNs do not obey this priority: their residual convergence order is governed by the NTK spectrum and is independent of the propagation path. Accordingly, we propose a unified multi-dimensional priority-constraint framework that partitions the domain along the propagation path and constructs negative-exponential residual weights, converting the physical propagation order into a training priority. For cases with coexisting priorities, we introduce a directional compatibility coefficient to clarify that "orthogonal directions can be coupled multiplicatively in synergy, whereas coaxial opposite directions cannot." Benchmark cases show that this method consistently improves the convergence behavior and prediction accuracy of PINNs on problems with clear propagation paths or constraint-dominated structures, without modifying the network architecture and with controllable additional computational cost.
