Optimized Neural Network Weights and Biases Using Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Prediction Applications

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) play an important role in the fields of function approximation, prediction, and classification. ANN performance is critically dependent on the input parameters, including the number of neurons in each layer, and the optimal values of weights and biases assigned to each neuron. In this study, we apply the particle swarm optimization method, a popular optimization algorithm for determining the optimal values of weights and biases for every neuron in different layers of the ANN. Several regression models, including general linear regression, Fourier regression, smoothing spline, and polynomial regression, are conducted to evaluate the proposed method's prediction power compared to multiple linear regression (MLR) methods. In addition, residual analysis is conducted to evaluate the optimized ANN accuracy for both training and test datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively determine optimal values for neuron weights and biases, and high accuracy results are obtained for prediction applications. Evaluations of the proposed method reveal that it can be used for prediction and estimation purposes, with a high accuracy ratio, and the designed model provides a reliable technique for optimization. The simulation results show that the optimized ANN exhibits superior performance to MLR for prediction purposes.