Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit vs. Neuri vs. NumPy vs. Python Comparison Chart

The Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit (CNTK) is an open-source toolkit for commercial-grade distributed deep learning. It describes neural networks as a series of computational steps via a directed graph. CNTK allows the user to easily realize and combine popular model types such as feed-forward DNNs, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs/LSTMs). CNTK implements stochastic gradient descent (SGD, error backpropagation) learning with automatic differentiation and parallelization across multiple GPUs and servers. CNTK can be included as a library in your Python, C#, or C++ programs, or used as a standalone machine-learning tool through its own model description language (BrainScript). In addition you can use the CNTK model evaluation functionality from your Java programs. CNTK supports 64-bit Linux or 64-bit Windows operating systems. To install you can either choose pre-compiled binary packages, or compile the toolkit from the source provided in GitHub.

Fast and versatile, the NumPy vectorization, indexing, and broadcasting concepts are the de-facto standards of array computing today. NumPy offers comprehensive mathematical functions, random number generators, linear algebra routines, Fourier transforms, and more. NumPy supports a wide range of hardware and computing platforms, and plays well with distributed, GPU, and sparse array libraries. The core of NumPy is well-optimized C code. Enjoy the flexibility of Python with the speed of compiled code. NumPy’s high level syntax makes it accessible and productive for programmers from any background or experience level. NumPy brings the computational power of languages like C and Fortran to Python, a language much easier to learn and use. With this power comes simplicity: a solution in NumPy is often clear and elegant.