Chapter 3: Using a Hopfield Neural Network

• Understanding the Hopfield Neural Network
• Recognizing Patterns
• Using Autoassociation
• Constructing a Neural Network Application

    Neural networks have long been the mainstay of artificial intelligence (AI) programming. As programmers, we can create programs that do fairly amazing things. However, ordinary programs can only automate repetitive tasks, such as balancing checkbooks or calculating the value of an investment portfolio. While a program can easily maintain a large collection of images, it cannot tell us what is illustrated in any of those images. Programs are inherently unintelligent and uncreative.

    Neural networks attempt to give computer programs human-like intelligence. They are usually designed and trained to recognize specific patterns in data. This chapter will teach you the basic layout of a neural network by introducing the Hopfield neural network.