Paolo Massimo Buscema

Artificial Neural Networks: An Overview and their Use in the Analysis of the AMPHORA-3 Dataset

The Artificial Adaptive Systems (AAS) are theories with which generative algebras are able to create artificial models simulating natural phenomenon. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are the more diffused and best-known learning system models in the AAS. This article describes an overview of ANNs, noting its advantages and limitations for analyzing dynamic, complex, non-linear, multidimensional processes. An example of a specific ANN application to alcohol consumption in Spain, as part of the EU AMPHORA-3 project, during 1961–2006 is presented. Studys limitations are noted and future needed research using ANN methodologies are suggested.

Artificial Neural Network What-If Theory

Data sets collected independently using the same variables can be compared using a new artificial neural network called Artificial neural network What If Theory, AWIT. Given a data set that is deemed the standard reference for some object, i.e. a flower, industry, disease, or galaxy, other data sets can be compared against it to identify its proximity to the standard. Thus, data that might not lend itself well to traditional methods of analysis could identify new perspectives or views of the data and thus, potentially new perceptions of novel and innovative solutions. This method comes out of the field of artificial intelligence, particularly artificial neural networks, and utilizes both machine learning and pattern recognition to display an innovative analysis.

Auto-contractive Maps

This chapter focuses on Auto-Contractive Maps, which is a particularly useful ANN. Moreover, the relationship between Auto-Contractive Map (Auto-CM), which is the main topic of this monograph, its relationship to other ANNs and some illustrative example applications are presented.

Artificial Neural Networks

Artificial Adaptive Systems include Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs or simply neural networks as they are commonly known). The philosophy of neural networks is to extract from data the underlying model that relates this data as an input/output (domain/range) pair. This is quite different from the way most mathematical modeling processes operate. Most mathematical modeling processes normally impose on the given data a model from which the input to output relationship is obtained. For example, a linear model that is a “best fit” in some sense, that relates the input to the output is such a model. What is imposed on the data by artificial neural networks is an a priori architecture rather than an a priori model. From the architecture, a model is extracted. It is clear, from any process that seeks to relate input to output (domain to range), requires a representation of the relationships among data. The advantage of imposing an architecture rather than a data model, is that it allows for the model to adapt. Fundamentally, a neural network is represented by its architecture. Thus, we look at the architecture first followed by a brief introduction of the two types of approaches for implementing the architecture—supervised and unsupervised neural networks. Recall that Auto-CM, which we discuss in Chap. 3, is an unsupervised ANN while K-CM, discussed in Chap. 6, is a supervised version of Auto-CM. However, in this chapter, we show that, in fact, supervised and unsupervised neural networks can be viewed within one framework in the case of the linear perceptron. The chapter ends with a brief look at some theoretical considerations.

Theory of impossible worlds: Toward a physics of information

In this paper, we introduce an innovative approach to the fusion between datasets in terms of attributes and observations, even when they are not related at all. With our technique, starting from datasets representing independent worlds, it is possible to analyze a single global dataset, and transferring each dataset onto the others is always possible. This procedure allows a deeper perspective in the study of a problem, by offering the chance of looking into it from other, independent points of view. Even unrelated datasets create a metaphoric representation of the problem, useful in terms of speed of convergence and predictive results, preserving the fundamental relationships in the data. In order to extract such knowledge, we propose a new learning rule named double backpropagation, by which an auto-encoder concurrently codifies all the different worlds. We test our methodology on different datasets and different issues, to underline the power and flexibility of the Theory of Impossible Worlds.

The ANNS approach to DEM reconstruction: THE ANNS APPROACH TO DEM RECONSTRUCTION

This research has 6 fundamental aims: (i) to present a modified version of Taylors interpolation, one that is more effective and faster than the original; (ii) outline the capability of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to perform an optimal functional approximation of the digital elevation model reconstruction from a satellite map, using a small and independent sample of Global Positioning System observations; (iii) demonstrate experimentally how ANNs outperform the traditional and most used algorithm for the height interpolation (Taylors interpolation); (iv) introduce a new ANN, the Conic Net, able to outperform the results of the classic and more known multilayer perceptron; (v) determine that Conic Nets, even when using Taylors modified interpolation as input features, are able to optimally approximate the heights with one order of magnitude more than the original satellite map; and (vi) make evident the possibility to interpolate the DEM heights through an ANN, which learns a data set of known points.

Auto-CM as a Dynamic Associative Memory

We look at how to use Auto-CM in the context of datasets that are changing in time. We modify our approach while keeping the original philosophy of Auto-CM.

Dataset Transformations and Auto-CM

We have looked at how to visualize the relationships among the elements of a dataset in Chap. 4. This chapter is devoted to the use of Auto-CM in the transformation of datasets for the purpose of extracting further relationships among data elements. The first transformation we call the FS-Transform, which looks beyond an all or nothing, binary relationship that is typical of most ANNs. The extraction of these perhaps more subtle relationships can be thought of as gradual relationships, zero denoting no relationship is present and one denoting a full/complete relationship that is absolutely present. It is thus, akin to a fuzzy set. The second transformation is one, which “morph” the delineation between records and variables within records that we call Hyper-Composition.

Comparison of Auto-CM to Various Other Data Understanding Approaches

We compare Auto-CM with various other methods that extract patterns from data. The way that we measure the results of comparisons uses MST.

Visualization of Auto-CM Output

One of the most powerful aspects of our approach to neural networks is not only the development of the Auto-CM neural network but the visualization of its results. In this chapter we look at two visualization approaches—the Minimal Spanning Tree (MST) and the Maximal Regular Graph (MRG). The resultant from Auto-CM is a matrix of weights. This weight matrix naturally fits into a graph theoretic framework since the weights connecting the nodes will be viewed as edges and the weights as the weights on these edges.