R Deep Learning Essentials - Second Edition

Neural networks as a network of memory cells

Another way to consider neural networks is to compare them to how humans think. As their name suggests, neural networks draw inspiration from neural processes and neurons in the mind. Neural networks contain a series of neurons, or nodes, which are interconnected and process input. The neurons have weights that are learned from previous observations (data). The output of a neuron is a function of its input and its weights. The activation of some final neuron(s) is the prediction.

We will consider a hypothetical case where a small part of the brain is responsible for matching basic shapes, such as squares and circles. In this scenario, some neurons at the basic level fire for horizontal lines, another ...