RVFL-X: A Novel Randomized Network Based on Complex Transformed Real-Valued Tabular Datasets

Abstract

Recent advancements in neural networks, supported by foundational theoretical insights, emphasize the superior representational power of complex numbers. However, their adoption in randomized neural networks (RNNs) has been limited due to the lack of effective methods for transforming real-valued tabular datasets into complex-valued representations. To address this limitation, we propose two methods for generating complex-valued representations from real-valued datasets: a natural transformation and an autoencoder-driven method. Building on these mechanisms, we propose RVFL-X, a complex-valued extension of the random vector functional link (RVFL) network. RVFL-X integrates complex transformations into real-valued datasets while maintaining the simplicity and efficiency of the original RVFL architecture. By leveraging complex components such as input, weights, and activation functions, RVFL-X processes complex representations and produces real-valued outputs. Comprehensive evaluations on 80 real-valued UCI datasets demonstrate that RVFL-X consistently outperforms both the original RVFL and state-of-the-art (SOTA) RNN variants, showcasing its robustness and effectiveness across diverse application domains. © 2025 IEEE.