Java neural network software available

[Bernd Fritzke]

This is to announce the availability of a Java implementation of the following
algorithms and neural network models:

 - Hard Competitive Learning (standard algorithm)
 - Neural Gas (Martinetz and Schulten 1991)
 - Neural Gas with Competitive Hebbian Learning (Martinetz and Schulten 1991)
 - Competitive Hebbian Learning (Martinetz and Schulten 1991, Martinetz 1993) 
 - Growing Neural Gas (Fritzke 1995)

The software (written by my student Hartmut Loos) is distributed under the GNU
Public License. It allows to experiment with the different methods using
various probability distributions. All model parameters can be set
interactively. A teach modus is provided to observe the models in "slow-motion"
if so desired.

The software can be accessed at 

  http://www.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ini/VDM/research/gsn/DemoGNG/GNG.html

where it is embedded as Java applet into a Web page and is downloaded for
immediate execution when you visit this page (if you have a slow link or only
ftp access, please see below).

I have prepared an accompanying html-paper entitled "Some competitive learning
methods" (yes, there may be catchier titles 8v) ) describing the implemented
models in detail:

  http://www.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ini/VDM/research/gsn/JavaPaper/

It is possible to download the complete software and a Postscript version of
the paper at the following addresses:
 
ftp://ftp.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/software/NN/DemoGNG/sclm.ps.gz
ftp://ftp.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pub/software/NN/DemoGNG/DemoGNG-1.00.tar.gz

Please send comments regarding the paper to me and comments regarding the Java
software to Hartmut (loos at neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de).

Enjoy,

Bernd Fritzke

Acknowledgment: This work was done in the research group of Christoph von der
Malsburg at Bochum.  I like to thank him for several helpful discussions and
the excellent working environment he has created there.

-- 
Bernd Fritzke * Institut f"ur Neuroinformatik             Tel. +49-234 7007845
Ruhr-Universit"at Bochum * Germany                        FAX. +49-234 7094210
WWW: http://www.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ini/PEOPLE/fritzke/top.html


--
Bernd Fritzke * Institut f"ur Neuroinformatik             Tel. +49-234 7007845
Ruhr-Universit"at Bochum * Germany                        FAX. +49-234 7094210
WWW: http://www.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ini/PEOPLE/fritzke/top.html