Neural networks
In our previous examples, we have discussed mainly regressions in the form . We have touched on using polynomials to fit more complex equations such as . However, as we add more features to our model, when to use a transformation of the original feature becomes a case of trial and error. Using neural networks, we are able to fit a much more complex function, y = f(X), to our data, without the need to engineer or transform our existing features.
Structure of neural networks
When we were learning the optimal value of , which minimized loss in our regressions, this is effectively the same as a one-layer neural network:
Here, we take each of our features, , as an input, illustrated here by a node. We wish to learn the parameters, , which are represented as connections in this diagram. Our final sum of all the products between and gives us our final prediction, y:
A neural network...