Introducing neural networks and deep learning

At its core, a neural network (also known as a neural net) is a computational model inspired by the structure and function of the human brain. It’s designed to process information and make decisions in a manner akin to how our neurons work.

An NN consists of interconnected nodes, or artificial neurons, organized into layers. These layers typically include an input layer, one or more hidden layers, and an output layer, which you can see in Figure 11.1. Each connection between neurons is associated with a weight, which determines the strength of the connection, and an activation function, which defines the output of the neuron:

Figure 11.1: Basic NN diagram

Data passes from the input layer through the hidden layers until it reaches the final layer as an output. The preceding diagram shows two output nodes, but an NN can consist of one or even hundreds of output nodes. The number of output nodes is an...