---
license: cc-by-4.0
task_categories:
- text-classification
tags:
- sequence classification
- formal languages
- regular languages
- long-distance dependencies
- logical complexity
- generalization
pretty_name: MLRegTest
size_categories:
- 10K<n<100K
---

The dataset is stored at the OSF [here](https://osf.io/ksdnm/)

MLRegTest is a benchmark for sequence classification, containing training, development, and test sets from 1,800 regular languages.
Regular languages are formal languages, which are sets of sequences definable with certain kinds of formal grammars, including
regular expressions, finite-state acceptors, and monadic second-order logic with either the successor or precedence relation in the
model signature for words. This benchmark was designed to help identify those factors, specifically the kinds of long-distance
dependencies, that can make it difficult for ML systems to generalize successfully in learning patterns over sequences. MLRegTest
organizes its languages according to their logical complexity (monadic second-order, first-order, propositional, or monomial
expressions) and the kind of logical literals (string, tier-string, subsequence, or combinations thereof). The logical complexity
and choice of literal provides a systematic way to understand different kinds of long-distance dependencies in regular languages,
and therefore to understand the capabilities of different ML systems to learn such long-distance dependencies. The authors think it
will be an important milestone if other researchers are able to find an ML system that succeeds across the board on MLRegTest.