Functional transfer matrices consist of real functions with trainable parameters. In this work, functional transfer matrices are used to model functional connections in neural networks. Different from linear connections in conventional weight matrices, the functional connections can represent nonlinear relations between two neighbouring layers. Neural networks with the functional connections, which are called functional transfer neural networks, can be trained via back-propagation. On the two spirals problem, the functional transfer neural networks are able to show considerably better performance than conventional multi-layer perceptrons. On the MNIST handwritten digit recognition task, the performance of the functional transfer neural networks is comparable to that of the conventional model. This study has demonstrated that the functional transfer matrices are able to perform better than the conventional weight matrices in specific cases, so that they can be alternatives of the conventional ones.
In this paper, an adequate set of input features is selected for functional expansion genetically for the purpose of solving the problem of classification in data mining using functional link neural network. The proposed method named as HFLNN aims to choose an optimal subset of input features by eliminating features with little or no predictive information and designs a more compact classifier. With an adequate set of basis functions, HFLNN overcomes the non-linearity of problems, which is a common phenomenon in single layer neural networks. The properties like simplicity of the architecture (i.e., no hidden layer) and the low computational complexity of the network (i.e., less number of weights to be learned) encourage us to use it in classification task of data mining. We present a mathematical analysis of the stability and convergence of the proposed method. Further the issue of statistical tests for comparison of algorithms on multiple datasets, which is even more essential in data mining studies, has been all but ignored. In this paper, we recommend a set of simple, yet safe, robust and non-parametric tests for statistical comparisons of the HFLNN with functional link neural network (FLNN) and radial basis function network (RBFN) classifiers over multiple datasets by an extensive set of simulation studies. Abstract In this paper we explore and discuss the learning and generalization characteristics of the random vector version of the Functional-link net and compare these with those attainable with the GDR algorithm. This is done for a well-behaved deterministic function and for real-world data. It seems that ‘ overtraining ’ occurs for stochastic mappings. Otherwise there is saturation of training. Functional link neural network (FLNN) is a class of higher order neural networks (HONs) and have gained extensive popularity in recent years. FLNN have been successfully used in many applications such as system identification, channel equalization, short-term electric-load forecasting, and some of the tasks of data mining. The goals of this paper are to: (1) provide readers who are novice to this area with a basis of understanding FLNN and a comprehensive survey, while offering specialists an updated picture of the depth and breadth of the theory and applications; (2) present a new hybrid learning scheme for Chebyshev functional link neural network (CFLNN); and (3) suggest possible remedies and guidelines for practical applications in data mining. We then validate the proposed learning scheme for CFLNN in classification by an extensive simulation study. Comprehensive performance comparisons with a number of existing methods are presented. Nonlinear intersymbol interference (ISI) leads to significant error rate in nonlinear communication and digital storage channel. In this paper, therefore, a novel computationally efficient functional link neural network cascaded with Chebyshev orthogonal polynomial is proposed to combat nonlinear ISI. The equalizer has a simple structure in which the nonlinearity is introduced by functional expansion of the input pattern by trigonometric polynomial and Chebyshev orthogonal polynomial. Due to the input pattern and nonlinear approximation enhancement, the proposed structure can approximate arbitrarily nonlinear decision boundaries. It has been utilized for nonlinear channel equalization. The performance of the proposed adaptive nonlinear equalizer is compared with functional link neural network (FLNN) equalizer, multilayer perceptron (MLP) network and radial basis function (RBF) along with conventional normalized least-mean-square algorithms (NLMS) for different linear and nonlinear channel models. The comparison of convergence rate, bit error rate (BER) and steady state error performance, and computational complexity involved for neural network equalizers is provided.