Neural network computing

Neural network, a computer program that operates in a manner inspired by the natural neural network in the brain. The objective of such artificial neural networks is to perform such cognitive functions as problem solving and machine learning. The theoretical basis of neural networks was developed in 1943 by the neurophysiologist Warren McCulloch of the University of Illinois and the mathematician Walter Pitts of the University of Chicago. In 1954 Belmont Farley and Wesley Clark of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology succeeded in running the first simple neural network. The primary appeal of neural networks is their ability to emulate the brain's pattern-recognition skills. Among commercial applications of this ability, neural networks have been used to make investment decisions, recognize handwriting, and even detect bombs.