Fading memory echo state networks are universal

Abstract: Echo state networks (ESNs) have been recently proved to be universal approximants for input/output systems with respect to various $L ^p$-type criteria. When $1\leq p< \infty$, only $p$-integrability hypotheses need to be imposed, while in the case $p=\infty$ a uniform boundedness hypotheses on the inputs is required. This note shows that, in the last case, a universal family of ESNs can be constructed that contains exclusively elements that have the echo state and the fading memory properties. This conclusion could not be drawn with the results and methods available so far in the literature.