Neural Networks - An Insight into Backpropagation

This report is an introduction to Artificial Neural Networks. The various aspects of neural networks are explained, demonstrated and the applications of neural networks are described.

Neural networks have been used to model the nonlinear characteristics of memory less nonlinear channels using the backpropagation learning (BP) with experimental training data. Backpropagation is a supervised learning algorithm and is mainly used by Multi-Layer-Perceptrons to change the weights connected to the net's hidden neuron layer(s).

Backpropagation is a supervised learning algorithm and is mainly used by Multi-Layer-Perceptrons to change the weights connected to the net's hidden neuron layer(s). The mean transient and convergence behavior of a simplified two-layer neural network has been studied previously in order to better understand this neural network application. The network was trained with zero mean Gaussian data. This paper extends these results to include the effects of the weight fluctuations on the mean square error (MSE).

The backpropagation algorithm uses a computed output error to change the weight values in backward direction. To get this net error, a forwardpropagation phase must have been done before. While propagating in forward direction, the neurons are being activated using the sigmoid activation function.

The performance analysis is based on the derivation of linear recursions for the variance and covariance of the weights that depend nonlinearly on the mean weights. These linear recursions can be used to predict the local mean-square stability of the weights. The motivation for the development of neural network technology stemmed from the desire to develop an artificial system that could perform "intelligent" tasks similar to those performed by the human brain.

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(This is the abstract of the Paper Presentation on "Neural Networks - An Insight into Backpropagation" presented by Vinay Kumar @ State level Symposiums in 2004)

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Copyrighted - Vinay Kumar

Take a Pill and Be a Bill

If you think your life’s very dull,
It’s just the thing to make it full.
Tarry no more in showing the planet your skill;
Just take a Pill and be a Bill.


Some, who are seriously ill,
And others, who never keep well,
It’ll make ‘em jump for nothing and yell;
Just take a Pill and be a Bill.


Some, who live on top of a towering hill,
And others, who keep cursing the chill,
It’ll make ‘em hotter than a furnace grill;
Just take a Pill and be a Bill.


Some, who are childless, as it never stands still,
And others, who have no ink in their quill,
It’ll produce so many; they’d pray it always fell.
So, Just take a Pill and be a Bill.


There’s one gentleman who has a lot to spill,
With a cigar, a pizza and Monica to drill,
He was caught for a stain in her frill.
So, forget the pill else you’ll be a Bill


Copyrighted - Vinay Kumar S

The Snail

Strolling in the rose garden, one day
A snail happened to cross my way.
Curious, I bent forward to watch it go,
And perceived it from crest to toe.

It’s Shell striped in blue and white,
Shimmered brightly in the forenoon light,
And two antennas emerging from its head,
Looked like fragments of delicate thread.

Never did it show any sign of exhaustion,
Carrying its house on the back, with precaution.
It crawled indolently over the lofty lawn,
Leaving no trail behind, it went on and on…

It managed to reach home, after all
Which indeed was a petite hole beneath a wall.
It glanced at me and seemed to say-“Thank You, dude”
For having escorted it all the way,
reliving it of solitude.

I came back home, delighted and blissful.
On having found a companion, torpid and bashful.
God’s created no one equal till today,
So that we are special in our own little way.

Copyrighted - Vinay Kumar S

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Tips to retain your present job

Mentioned below are some of the tips, which can help you in retaining your present job by keeping yourself, your co-workers and most importantly your Boss happy. Happy reading..

1. Always be on time; better yet, be early.

2. Ask questions! If you've been assigned a task and don't know exactly what to do, ask your Boss or a co-worker for more clarification/details. They will appreciate your interest and concern in the assigned job.

3. Don't take time off unless you're ill, call in and explain your absence. Do not have someone else call in for you.

4. Always show an interest in the company. Learn all that you can about all aspects of the company, not just your own job.

5. Co-operate with your colleagues/team members and your Boss.

6. Most importantly, work safely. Do not hurry to get a job done at the risk of an accident. Report any unsafe work atmosphere to your Boss.

7. Dress formally. A person working in the fashion industry will dress differently than a person in corporate office. Take tips from your co-workers; see how they dress.

8. Accept challenges and take initiatives. Do the job you're being paid to do. Don't let your personal life interfere with your professional life. You're being paid to work.

9. Keep personal telephone calls to a minimum and as short as possible.

10. Learn to accept criticism. When your Boss or co-workers comment to you that you could do a job better or faster, recognise these suggestions as a way to improve your work productivity.

11. Be aware of your company?s rules and regulation (i.e. Leave policy, salary procedure, overtime, delegating responsibility, sharing information et al.)

12. In case of a conflict with your co-workers, always be tactful in handling the situation and never make it public. Of course, if the situation deteriorates, talk it out with your boss or with the HR professionals.

13. Don't talk about private company matters after job-hours. Private company business should stay private.

14.Last but not the least, always take pleasure in your work and pursue it as your hobby.

“How to make a Million Dollars”

This is an extract from the book titled “Literary Lapses” by Stephen Leacock..a celebrated writer. The prose is titled “How to make a million dollars”.

One thing I'm, sure about. If a young man wants to make a million dollars he's got to be mighty careful about his diet and his living. This may seem hard. But success is only achieved with pains.

...

There is no use in a young man who hopes to make a million dollars thinking he's entitled to get up at 7:00, eat force and poached eggs, drink cold water at lunch, and go to bed at 10 p.m. You can't do it. I've seen too many millionaires for that. If you want to be a millionaire you mustn't get up till ten in the morning. They never do. They daren't. It would be as much as their business is worth if they were seen on the street at half-past nine.

And the old idea of abstemiousness is all wrong. To be a millionaire you need champagne, lots of it and all the time. That and Scotch whisky and soda; you have to sit up nearly all night and drink buckets of it. This is what clears the brain for business next day. I've seen some of these men with their brains so clear in the morning, that their faces look positively boiled. To live like this requires, of course, resolution. But you can buy that by the pint.

Therefore, my dear young man, if you want to get moved on from your present status in business, change your life. When your landlady brings your bacon and eggs for breakfast, throw them out of the window to the dog and tell her to bring you some chilled asparagus and a pint of Moselle. Then telephone to your employer that you'll be down about eleven o'clock. You will get moved on. Yes, very quickly.

Collateral Damage

Collateral Damage

...

The health and environmental costs of war on Iraq

War!!!...The mere sound of this word sends shivers down our spines. Its easy to wage a war and fulfil ones greed or Aspirations. But have we ever pondered as to where all this leads to…well nothing except misery and pain. Some of the statistics which I have tried to sum up in this column could widen your eves with horror and astonishment.

Up to four million people could die in a war on Iraq involving nuclear weapons. A more contained conflict will cause half a million deaths and have a devastating impact on the lives, health and environment of the combatants, Iraqi civilians, and people in neighbouring countries and beyond. It will also damage the global economy and thus indirectly harm the health of millions more people across the world.

...

The estimates of the total possible deaths on all sides during the conflict and the following three months range from 48,000 to over 260,000. Civil war within Iraq could add another 20,000 deaths. Additional later deaths from post-war adverse health effects could reach 200,000. If nuclear weapons were used the death toll could reach 3,900,000. In all scenarios, the majority of casualties will be civilians.The aftermath of a ‘conventional’ war could include civil war, famine and epidemics, millions of refugees and displaced people, catastrophic effects on children’s health and development, economic collapse including failure of agriculture and manufacturing, and a requirement for long-term peacekeeping.

...

Global economic crisis may be triggered through trade reduction and soaring oil prices, with particularly devastating consequences for developing countries especially India which depends solely upon the Gulf for its Oil reserves.The financial burden will be enormous on all sides, with arms spending, occupation costs, relief and reconstruction possibly exceeding $150-200bn. The US shall be spending nothing less than $100bn on the war and $5bn - 20bn annually on the occupation. As the report points out, $100bn would fund about four years of expenditure to address the health needs of the world’s poorest people.

...

Conflict will be more destructive than 1990-1991 Gulf War. The vowed US aim of regime change means much more intense fighting and destruction than the 1990-91 Gulf War, and will involve more deadly weapons developed in the interim. Furthermore, the mental and physical health of ordinary Iraqis is far worse than it was in 1991.

...

The US goal of leadership change is counterbalanced by Saddam Hussein’s goal of survival for which he could go on to do things beyond imagination. He could fire oil wells and using radiological or chemical missiles pollute the sites, order paramilitary attacks on Kuwaiti and Saudi oil fields, pipelines and facilities, order paramilitary attacks on civilian centres in other Gulf states order paramilitary attacks on targets in the US, UK and other Coalition countries, consider selective use of chemical and biological weapons (CBW).

WHY!!!

This is a common question in everyone’s mind today even as the Coalition Forces powered mainly by the USA and UK strike and pound the city of Baghdad, a mere showcase of their “Super Power” status. Why are tonnes of bombs and missiles being fired upon buildings and houses killing innocent civilians? Why is the UN a mute spectator to this dirty show just as a hundred of its basic rules are being broken by the bully’s? Why are we being deprived of the basic human rights of life? Why?

Shared Journey

Shared Journey

(Making the Decision to Adopt After Struggling with Infertility)

It takes time and emotional toil to work through the issues of infertility and look at options beyond pregnancy. However, with persistence, the choice of adoption as a way of building a family transforms from a frightening possibility to a reality of wonder and joy.

The emotional burden that accompanies infertility can sometimes seem enormous. Feelings of grief, anger, frustration, disappointment, and the difficulty to overcome a severe loss or attempts to become pregnant place a heavy toll on those who are coping with infertility. Social pressure and expectations of family and friends can compound conflicted emotions. And yet all of these issues must be addressed in order to become a good parent to your adopted child.

It is not uncommon for several years to go by as prospective parents struggle with infertility treatment and loss. Most people grow up assuming that they will be able to have children when the time comes. But if this turns out to be impossible, it could have a terrible impact on one's self image. Sometimes meeting with an adoptee sets the stage right for adoption. Often there is a feeling of rightness, once the decision is made to adopt and when you are united with your child.

The adoption process itself propels prospective parents to work through the emotional aspects of infertility toward parenthood. At some point the prospective parent starts to wonder - what would it be like to raise an adopted child? They find themselves once more in a process of discovery. What matters more - appearance, age, health? How much risk are they willing to take? Such biasing queries need to be justified to the prospective parent either by the family or a counselor.

Fears of adoption
Adoption is more widespread than one might think. Six out of every ten American has had a personal experience with adoption. Two to five percent (2-5%) of American households have adopted children. For the most part adoption works well - only 2-15% of all adoptions disrupt. Fear of rejection, ostracation, more failure or loss, the child's health and emotional well being - all these worries concern prospective parents considering adoption. However, the most significant concern about adoption usually revolves around 'love'. They wonder, "Will I love my child and will he/she love me in return?"

When prospective parents start on the adoption journey, they question what type of love would they have for their child. Would it be like loving the next door neighbor’s kids? Another concern which is brought rather forcefully to their attention is that adoption may be viewed as second best. This attitude may even reflect upon their children, who may be viewed as or may themselves feel as second rates.

...

Several concerns related to love are specific to parents who already have children by birth. One of the most significant concerns for these families may be the impact of bringing an adoptive child into an established family. While this is something that parents need to address seriously, the expansion of the family can have many benefits for everyone.

Relief of adoption after infertility
As prospective parents move through the adoption process, their focus begins to shift away from pregnancy - emotionally and physically. Their revised goal becomes one of having a family. This is what some adopters have to say about this:

"When Nancy first started having trouble getting pregnant we said we would do 'whatever it took' to conceive. At that time we had no idea it would go on for 4 years and be so traumatic. We realized we had lost sight of our goal which was to parent a child, not necessarily become pregnant. When we decided to adopt it was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders."

"After years of working with a specialist and 4 miscarriages, we decided to adopt. We have had Shirley for 6 months now and I have to say, if we had known during the infertility period how great this was going to be, I guess we wouldn’t have tried so hard to have a bio kid. I just can't imagine not being with her or loving her more than I do."

One of the blessings of choosing adoption is that over time there is lessening of envy and anger toward others who are pregnant or have children. These feelings are a common emotional response to the loss related to infertility. To think of infertility can be a gift in some ways, because it creates empathy between couples and their adopted children. After all, they love them, yet occasionally they still long for that birth child. Likewise, the kids may truly love them as their parents and still yearn for contact with their birthparents.

For many people the joy of adoption also brings with it an unexpected healing. This may take time - even years. But while residual loss related to infertility issues may remain, most adoptive parents find that their children bring such blessings that they gladly come to terms with their situation.

Let’s hope prospective parents won't let anything sadden them about the way children come into their hearts and home. The way doesn't matter. It's the children who matter. If there’s somebody who doesn't understand that, feel sorry for them; there are wonderful things they'll never know and wonderful experiences they'll never have!

CURRICULUM VITAE

CURRICULUM VITAE

VINAY KUMAR S.
#8, 1st Cross, T.Timmaiah Road,
R. K. Layout HBCS II Stage,
Padmanabhnagar,
Bangalore – 560 070 (Karnataka)
Ph no : +91-80-2689 1963, 98860 38882
Email : vinay.vk@gmail.com

CAREER OBJECTIVE
To completely utilize my talents, skills and abilities in the Information Technology Industry that offers security and Professional growth while being resourceful and innovative. Currently seeking for employment in your esteemed organization.

PERSONAL SKILLS
A Hard Worker, possess comprehensive problem solving abilities, excellent verbal and written communication skills, resourceful and innovative. Highly motivated to take independent responsibility as well as ability to contribute and be a productive team member. Strong analytical, interpersonal and problem solving skills.

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

• 1+ years work experience as Developer in IT Industry.


• Working on J2EE Technology


• Keen to learn new technologies as and when required by the project.


• Strong Web application development skill using Java, JSP, Struts, Servlets.


• Currently working for Evolving Systems Networks India Pvt Ltd

(Offshore development centre for Evolving Systems Inc. USA).

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Languages : Java, J2EE, C, Data Structures with C, C++, COBOL, PL-SQL, Perl 5.6.
Databases : Oracle 9i/ MySql/Ms Access
Application Servers : Tomcat 5.0.28, Apache, IIS, Wiki
Operating Systems : MS DOS, UNIX, Redhat Linux 9.0, WINDOWS 9X/ ME/ XP/NT
Developer Tool : Eclipse 3x, JMeter, JCoverage, Junit, CMVC, Struts, CGI & HTML


WORK EXPERIENCE

Evolving Systems Networks India Pvt Ltd from June 2005 till date (http://www.evolving.com/)

Project: Local Number Portability
(Associated with Release 5.2 & 6.0.2, 6.0.3 for QUEST, USA and 6.0 / 6.0.1 for SBC, USA)

Role : Developer Environment: J2EE, EJB, Eclipse, Lomboz, Tomcat

OrderPath establishes the path for distributing orders from existing SOEs to the regional-level Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC). OrderPath supplements incoming order information with the necessary Location Routing Number (LRN) and Global Title Translation (GTT) data elements and converts that information into a subscription that can be processed by the NPACs. OrderPath offers complete subscription management capabilities giving users the ability to manage subscriptions and audits on service provider, NPAC and network data management information.
NumberManager stores the regional NPAC LNP subscriptions and sends them to network element management systems (NEMSs) so Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) elements can be effectively provisioned for ported numbers. NumberManager interfaces with the NPAC at the Local Service Management System (LSMS) level and validates data elements, translates routing data, and forwards that data to the domain NEMSs to provision network elements.

Responsibilities:

• Involved in Development and Unit Testing.


• Supporting the Integration and Maintenance.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS
Certificate courses on following subjects were undertaken:

• Integrated 3 months Technical Training on Oracle 9i and Visual Basic 6.0 at SSI, Bangalore


• Workshop on Personality Development and Interpersonal Skills by Mr. Zane Cuxton of Skill, Knowledge & Management

HONOURS AND AWARDS

Presented Technical Papers on “Neural Networks - An Insight into Backpropagation” at the State Level Convention of the ISTE Student’s Chapter at BIET, Davangere, “TECHZONE”, Technical Symposium by The Institution of Engineers(India) at JNNCE, Shimoga and “e-Manthana”, National Level Technical Paper Presentation conducted by AIT, Chikmagalur.

ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

• Appointed as Branch representative and Coordinator at the College Placement Office.


• Active College member of the Quiz, Dumb Charades, Web Designing and Debate forums.


• Pursued Hindustani Classical music (Tabla) for 6 years and (Vocal) for 2 years


• Programming, surfing the Internet, Reading Novels & Computer related Topics, painting, philately, playing Tennis, Swimming and listening soft music.

PERSONAL DETALS
Father’s Name : Mr. R. Sampath Kumar
Sex & DOB : Male, 06-03-1983
Languages : Read, Write and Speak Fluently Hindi, English and Kannada


Vinay Kumar S