presented. Many scientists are interested in determining the advantage of
neural networks over classical statistical methods. In this book, statistical
methods are addressed in detail in relation to neural networks; Chapter 2
illustrates that the two approaches are equivalent in linear data analysis and
then begins to build a solid foundation of basic neural network concepts,
instilling a deep understanding to continue forth with confidence.
Chapter 3 through Chapter 5 address nonlinear data analysis with neural
networks using multilayer networks that are the most popular networks for
nonlinear pattern recognition. Multilayer networks are a class of networks
that have layers of neurons with nonlinear processing capabilities. The book
provides extensive coverage of these networks because their potential and
usefulness in systems modeling are increased if their limitations in relation
to robustness and extensive trial-and-error requirements are addressed. The
advantages of neural networks over statistical methods in nonlinear
modeling are illustrated in these chapters. Specifically, these chapters
address in detail nonlinear processing in networks, network training, and
optimization of network configurations. Examples and case studies are
presented so that these chapters can be easily understood. The material in
these chapters is intended for both regular lectures and independent study.
Chapter 6 is a discussion of data exploration and preprocessing; it
involves a significant number of statistical methods, some of which are
available on commonly known statistical programs. The objective of the
chapter is to extract relevant and independent inputs for effective model
development and it can be used in conjunction with hands-on problem
solving on statistical software.
Chapter 7 discusses uncertainty assessment in neural networks and relies
heavily on statistical methods; neural networks are examined on a rigorous
statistical foundation. Although neural networks are powerful nonlinear
processes, tools to assess their robustness have been limited. In this chapter,
neural networks are put into the context of Bayesian statistics for a rigorous
assessment of their uncertainty in relation to network parameters, errors,
and sensitivities. The material presented in this chapter requires a basic
understanding of the concepts of simple, joint, and conditional probabil-
ities, as well as the neural networks concepts developed in Chapter 3
through Chapter 5. Uncertainty assessment presented in the chapter can be
invaluable for gaining confidence in the neural network models and then
using them in decision making.
In my experience, students are particularly interested in self-organizing
maps—unsupervised networks for discovering unknown clusters and
relationships in multidimensional data. Chapter 6 presents this material in
a step-by-step manner that highlights the important concepts. These can be
used as both lecture material and for independent study. The essential
concepts are presented incrementally and many features of unsupervised
data clustering and its relation to some statistical clustering methods are
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