Neural Networks for Absolute Beginners
An Introduction To Perceptron In Plain English
If you are curious about machine learning and always wanted to learn about Artificial Neural Network but never really got started, this article is for you. The purpose of this article is to nudge absolute beginners into their neural network journey by exploring some of the fundamental concepts in plain English. We will look at the fundamental building block of a neural network and its basic components. We will also explore Perceptron basics and its components.
What is a Neuron?
A biological neuron is the basic unit of the human brain, which is specially designed to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, etc. This is done by a network consisting of billions of connected neurons. As shown in the simplified figure below, a neuron takes some inputs (through dendrites), processes them, and provides outputs (through axons). If the combination of input electrical signals is above a certain threshold, it results in firing or activation of the neuron. The same principle of firing/activation is used in artificial neurons as well. The Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is inspired by this arrangement of biological neurons in our brains and its basic unit is called a neuron or a Perceptron.
