Neural Networks

The human brain is constructed of a vast network of interconnected entities. These entities function together to enable us learn and to perform a diverse array of tasks. The neuron is responsible for this learning process and it is made up of three main parts the dendrites, the soma, and the axon. The dendrites form the input network that consists of branches, which connect to tens of thousands of other neurons. This interconnectedness is what determines our adaptability and creativity. The next element of the neuron is the Soma. This is the processing element that determines at which threshold the neuron will respond. A constant flow of chemical signals causes stimulation of an output once the integrated signal reaches a certain threshold value. When a signal is finally generated, it is conducted down the Axon, and then continues to another dendrite or to the muscle cells.

During the learning process, adjustments to the response threshold values are made. These adjustments cause the Soma to become more excitable. This will allow the neuron to generate an output signal at lower integrated values of chemical stimulation. As we become more familiar with certain tasks, a lower level of excitation is exhibited. This lower level of excitation allows tasks to become “second nature”. Therefore tasks require less effort to perform.

Our knowledge of how we learn is somewhat limited, but similar principles are found in biological neural networks. These can be used in artificial networks as well. As in the biological counterparts, the artificial networks have processing elements like the neuron. Neurons have interconnected pathways for inputs, similar to the dendrites. The neurons of the artificial networks also use a summation, or integral process, which determines the output threshold of the individual element. Each element is one of many that are arranged in layers, which are connected to numerous others within the layer. They are also connected to the other elements that occupy different layers. By this arrangement, a highly interconnected array of neurons is formed. This increases the flexibility of the system and allows it to closely mimic the capabilities of their biological counterparts.

In the supervised method, the system is informed of what the outcome should be based on the input values. The system then processes the inputs in order to create the same output with an acceptable error margin. If the desired output is not created, the system goes back to the interconnected weights of the processing elements. Here, adjustments are made until the error is acceptable. The adjustments are made to the integrating equations, which determine the excitability of an element within the network. This method of learning is used to create a network that can generate models when there are a vast number of input variables to be evaluated. The other method is to allow the system to make adjustments without an output model to compare against. It will make the necessary adjustments as needed to help the system discover patterns and inter-relations within the input data.

Many large corporations have begun to use neural networks in a wide range of applications. Medical institutions have started investigating their benefits in areas such as the complicated nature of diagnosis of patients. By inputting various symptoms, the computer would research the vast number of possible afflictions. This would greatly assist in the diagnosis and severity of illnesses. These include, stock market forecasting, assisting in fraud detection, and in foreign market trend analysis. Research is also being done to possibly use neural network software in optical character recognition of cursive handwriting.

The potential uses of neural network technology are a widely diversified market with many possibilities. I believe that as our understanding of biological networks and learning increases, artificial neural networks will continue to advance. These systems are not confined to being controlled by algorithms, as are typical computers. As a result, these systems are not limited in their numerous possibilities of applications. In my opinion, the highly intricate nature of nonlinear mathematics and the increased complexity of ever-growing numbers of interconnected processing elements will make the evolution of artificial networks difficult but extremely functional.

The Baroque Essay

The Baroque Period was the age of reason when minds and imaginations opened up new worlds of scientific knowledge as well as artistic creativity. The Baroque era was a period of grandeur and magnificence that gave off a powerful awe inspiring style that was full of flamboyant concepts and overall dramatic quality. From Venice, as well as from Rome and the centers where international mannerism flourished, the roads to Baroque art fanned out in all directions. The style of Baroque art was so diverse that it’s difficult to determine what classifies it as being art of the Baroque era. Although Baroque art has many different artistic manifestations there are certain general characteristics that appear in all three types of Baroque art. The Counter Reformation Baroque style focuses on astonishing and overpowering its audience. Art of this time was also enlisted in serving the purposes of the church militant. The Aristocratic Baroque style focuses on glorifying the state and asserting national power and prestige. The last style of the Baroque age, Bourgeois Baroque, was marked by the concentration on down-to-earth common people of the middle class. The individuality of each style of the Baroque period is visibly distinctive, yet similar in their own exclusive approaches.

The Counter Reformation art, which focused on the command of the church, was created by the Jesuits in 1534. It was also dynamic and religious due to the influence of the church. In Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Slaying Holofernes, a religious fervor can be seen in this brutally graphic version of a biblical scene which enlightens the action with realism and powerful female protagonists. Gentileschi’s use of emotionalism is visible because of the abundance of dramatic aspects due to the vicious slaughter of Holofernes by the Jewish widow, Judith. She also utilizes the aspect of light and shade to extract the spectator’s attention to the dramatic action of the painting. Her use of realistic colors, textures, and substances creates illusionism in the appearance of the scene. Through Gentileschi’s use of dynamic religious fervor and lack of boundaries she clearly creates a classic Counter Reformation painting of the Baroque era.

In Aristocratic Baroque art, the emphasis shifted from the divine God to the divine state. After the restoration of monarchy under Louis XIV, the Baroque period resumed its magnificent course and the state became the focal point of all art. In Hyacinthe Rigaud’s Louis XIV, the magnificence of the domination by the state is undoubtedly perceived. In his painting the glorification of the state is apparent by stressing Louis’s preeminent qualities which was the personification of France. The authority and splendor of the state is conveyed through his use of illusionism of his lavish red and gold drapery which portrays an image of dignity and authority. Through his use of texture and color he creates an exceedingly lavish scene with many assorted varieties of fabric which also appeals to the Baroque ideal of richness and lavishness.

The Bourgeois Baroque art style is differentiated by the down-to-earth, middle class families which were predominantly seen in Holland and Flanders. This period was also marked by a variety of painting categories including: history scenes, landscapes, genre scenes, still-life, portraiture, and corporation pictures. An example of one specific still-life painting of the Bourgeois Baroque is Willem Claes Heda’s Still Life with Oysters, Rum Glass, and Silver Cup. In the still-life studies, objects were rendered with almost scientific precision as seen in Heda’s painting. Light and shade is also an exceedingly strong aspect of the Bourgeois era, this is visibly observed through the inflowing of light accenting the domestic intimacy of the painting. In using realistic colors, textures, and substances the artist facilitates a painting of illusionism. The artist pays particularly close attention to every detail in the painting from the realistic quality of the orange peel, to the glistening of the oyster.