BIRDNet

BIRDNet: Interpretable Neural Networks via Boolean Implication Knowledge Graphs for Tabular Data

BIRDNet is a neurosymbolic architecture that mines Boolean implication relationships (BIRs) from tabular data using a sparse-exception binomial test, then encodes the resulting directed graph as the connectivity structure of a layered neural network. Each hidden unit corresponds to exactly one mined rule and binds only to its two features, yielding up to 96× parameter reduction versus a matched dense MLP. Evaluated on six transcriptomic and proteomic benchmarks, BIRDNet stays within 0.02 AUROC of dense baselines while recovering known biological signatures such as canonical amplicons and immune-infiltration markers. Unlike most neurosymbolic approaches, BIRDNet derives its structural prior from data rather than an external rule base.