Self-Organizing Maps

Abstract

The Self-Organizing Map (SOM) is a neural network algorithm, which uses a competitive learning technique to train itself in an unsupervised manner. SOMs are different from other artificial neural networks in the sense that they use a neighborhood function to preserve the topological properties of the input space and they have been used to create an ordered representation of multi-dimensional data which simplifies complexity and reveals meaningful relationships. Prof. T. Kohonen in the early 1980s first established the relevant theory and explored possible applications of SOMs. Since then, a number of theoretical and practical applications of SOMs have been reported including clustering, prediction, data representation, classification, visualization, etc. This book was prompted by the desire to bring together some of the more recent theoretical and practical developments on SOMs and to provide the background for future developments in promising directions. The book comprises of 25 Chapters which can be categorized into three broad areas: methodology, visualization and practical applications.