10/8/2020 Neural Networks: Advantages and Applications | MarkTechPost

Neural Networks: Advantages and Applications

By Maria Thomas - April 18, 2019

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A human brain is not capable of solving complex data and cannot extract information from
compound structures. To overcome this lack of ability to resolve complex problems, Warren
McCulloch and Walter Pitts came up with a mathematical model. This model is called Artificial
Neural Networks(ANN) which falls under Artificial Intelligence. The ANN is a computing system
designed to replicate the way humans analyze and work. The processing of multiple data inputs is
done by different machine learning algorithms. These algorithms work together under a single
framework called the neural network. Neural networks are inspired by the structure of biological
neural networks in a human brain. There is an input neuron which acts as an interface for all the
other neurons to pass the input. Also, there is an output neuron which accepts all the outputs
from different neurons.

Artificial Neural Networks are composed of many nodes. These nodes are connected to each other
and function together, by passing information. They consist of a number of layers called Multi-
Layer Perceptron(MLP). Here, each layer performs a different function on the received data. These
layers include one input layer, one output layer, and one or more hidden layers. The basic data is
received by the input layer. The hidden layers extract data from one set of neurons (input layer)
and provide the output to another set of neurons (output layer), hence they remain hidden. The
hidden layers, as they go deeper, capture all the minute details. This results in discovering various
relationships between different inputs. Finally, the output layer provides a result which is simple
and understandable.

The Neural Network is first given a set of high-level input data which the system reads and
analyzes. The system then detects the properties of the inputs, layer by layer. In case of an
image, the first layer may detect the contrast and the next layer may detect the texture. In a
similar way, different attributes are detected by different layers. If the data of a cat is provided in
the form of images then, the system starts to recognize cats from the rest of the inputs, provided
for detecting. The network perceives better when a descriptive input or rules are also provided to
it like, a cat has whiskers or has spots. It also adjusts its internal weightings to the answers
provided to it. That is, the network adds weight to the input sources that provide the information,
based on how reliable they are. This helps in improving its performance each time.

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Types of Neural Networks:

The Neural Networks are divided into types based on the number of hidden layers they contain or
how deep the network goes. Each type has its own levels of complexity and use cases. Few types
of neural networks are Feed-forward neural network, Recurrent neural network, Convolutional
neural network and Hopfield networks.

Feed-forward neural networks:

Feed-forward neural network are the basic type of neural networks. The information in this
network travels in a unidirectional manner, that is, only from input to processing node to
output. The hidden layers may or may not be present in this type, making it more explicable.

Recurrent neural networks:

Recurrent neural networks are much more complex and most widely used networks. The data
flows in multiple directions in this network. They store the output data of the processing nodes
and learn to improve their functioning.

Convolutional neural networks:

Convolutional neural networks are the ones that are popular today due to their specialty in
being able to perform face recognition. They allow encoding attributes into the input, by
assuming it to be an image.

Advantages of Neural Networks:

Neural Networks have the ability to learn by themselves and produce the output that is not
limited to the input provided to them.
The input is stored in its own networks instead of a database, hence the loss of data does not
affect its working.
These networks can learn from examples and apply them when a similar event arises, making
them able to work through real-time events.
Even if a neuron is not responding or a piece of information is missing, the network can detect
the fault and still produce the output.
They can perform multiple tasks in parallel without affecting the system performance.

Applications of Neural Networks:

The Artificial Neural Network has been in existence from 1943, when it was initially designed, but
has only recently come into light under Artificial Intelligence due to the applications that make it
more preferable. These include:

Image processing
Language processing and translation
Route detection
Speech recognition
Forecasting

Artificial Neural Networks are currently being used to solve many complex problems and the
demand is increasing with time. The wide number of applications starting from face recognition to
making decisions are being handled by neural networks.

The more it is exposed to real-time examples, the more it adapts. Neural Networks are capable of
learning from faults thereby increasing its capacity to perform well. Hence, neural networks are
being preferred more for complex problem-solving.

Note: This is a guest post, and opinion in this article is of the guest writer. If you have any issues
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Maria Thomas
I am Maria Thomas, Content Marketing Manager and Product Specialist at GreyCampus with eight years rich
experience on professional certification courses like PMI- Project Management Professional, PMI-ACP, Prince2, ITIL,
Big Data, and Six Sigma.

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