Neural network weight adjustment

Artificial Neural Networks. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) consists of a network of nodes (processing elements) connected via adjustable weights [Zurada, 1992]. The weights can be adjusted so that a network learns a mapping represented by a set of example input/output pairs. An ANN can in theory reproduce any continuous function 95 —>31 °, where n and m are numbers of input and output nodes. In NDT neural networks are usually used as classifiers... 

Learning in the context of a neural network is the process of adjusting the weights and biases in such a manner that for given inputs, the correct responses, or outputs are achieved. Learning algorithms include ... 

The ability of an ANN to learn is its greatest asset. When, as is usually the case, we cannot determine the connection weights by hand, the neural network can do the job itself. In an iterative process, the network is shown a sample pattern, such as the X, Y coordinates of a point, and uses the pattern to calculate its output it then compares its own output with the correct output for the sample pattern, and, unless its output is perfect, makes small adjustments to the connection weights to improve its performance. The training process is shown in Figure 2.13. 

The lack of a recipe for adjusting the weights of connections into hidden nodes brought research in neural networks to a virtual standstill until the publication by Rumelhart, Hinton, and Williams2 of a technique now known as backpropagation (BP). This offered a way out of the difficulty. 

Artificial neural networks often have a layered structure as shown in Figure 8.2 (b). The first layer is the input layer. The second layer is the hidden layer. The third layer is the output layer. Learning algorithms such as back-propagation that are described in many textbooks on neural networks (Kosko 1992 Rumelhart and McClelland 1986 Zell 1994) may be used to train such networks to compute a desired output for a given input. The networks are trained by adjusting the weights as well as the thresholds. 

Neural network method is often quoted as a data-driven method. The weights are adjusted on the basis of data. In other words, neural networks learn from training examples and can generalize beyond the training data. Therefore, neural networks are often applied to domains where one has little or incomplete understanding of the problem to be solved, but where training data is readily available. Protein secondary structure prediction is one such example. Numerous rules and statistics have been accumulated for protein secondary structure prediction over the last two decades. Nevertheless, these... 

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