A neural network is a network of individual nodes called neurons. Each neuron is connected to other neurons by inputs or outputs or both. The connections are weighted. During operation, each neuron computes the weighted sum of its inputs and uses it to compute an output. The idea is suggested by the way networks of neurons operate in the human brain.
Neural networks are capable of learning patterns in input data.
During a training phase, the output neurons compare their computed output with what it should be according to a training example, and then all the weights in the network are adjusted to try to reduce the error. Neural networks have been used to predict price movements in financial markets, to control manufacturing processes, and to recognize written characters among other things.