Neural Networks

From: Doug Yowza <yowza_at_yowza.com>
Date: Thu Apr 2 19:59:59 1998

On Thu, 2 Apr 1998, Max Eskin wrote:

> I know we discussed this earlier, so the replies can be private, if
> you wish, but it seems that some people here are familiar with the
> field.

Ah, my favorite Off Topic subject!

> My question is this. My understanding of neural networks is a bunch
> of neurons, all more or less randomly connected, with one output
> and an arbitrary number of inputs; if the sum of the inputs equals
> a certain predetermined level, the neuron sends a pulse on the output,
> to trigger other neurons.
> Could someone please complicate the picture for me?

Are you asking about wet and squishy neural nets or artificial neural
nets? There's nothing random about the connections of either in a
*functioning* net, but a learning net can have somewhat random
connections. The "summation" isn't linear in either type of net, and the
trigger can be a frequency threshold as well as an amplitude threshold.

Of course, real neural nets are *much* more complicated and are affected
by food, sleep, and neuro-transmitter analogues like LSD.

-- Doug
Received on Thu Apr 02 1998 - 19:59:59 BST