Artificial neural networks are learning machines inspired by the operation of the human brain, and they consist of many artificial neurons connected in parallel. These networks work via non-linear mapping techniques between the inputs and outputs of a model indicative of the operation of a real system. Although introduced over 40 years ago, many wonderful new developments in neural networks have taken place as recently as during the last decade or so. This has led to numerous recent applications in many fields, especially when the input-output relations are too complex and difficult to express using formulations
