torch.autograd.function.FunctionCtx.mark_non_differentiable

FunctionCtx.mark_non_differentiable(*args)

Marks outputs as non-differentiable.

This should be called at most once, only from inside the forward() method, and all arguments should be tensor outputs.

This will mark outputs as not requiring gradients, increasing the efficiency of backward computation. You still need to accept a gradient for each output in backward(), but it’s always going to be a zero tensor with the same shape as the shape of a corresponding output.

This is used e.g. for indices returned from a sort. See example::

>>> class Func(Function):
>>>     @staticmethod
>>>     def forward(ctx, x):
>>>         sorted, idx = x.sort()
>>>         ctx.mark_non_differentiable(idx)
>>>         ctx.save_for_backward(x, idx)
>>>         return sorted, idx
>>>
>>>     @staticmethod
>>>     @once_differentiable
>>>     def backward(ctx, g1, g2):  # still need to accept g2
>>>         x, idx = ctx.saved_tensors
>>>         grad_input = torch.zeros_like(x)
>>>         grad_input.index_add_(0, idx, g1)
>>>         return grad_input