Truncated-Newton training algorithm for neurocomputational viscoplastic model Original Research Article

We present an estimate approach to compute the viscoplastic behavior of a polymer matrix composite under different thermomechanical environments. This investigation incorporates computational neural network as the tool for determining the creep behavior of the composite. We propose a new second-order learning algorithm for training the multilayer networks. Training in the neural network is generally specified as the minimization of an appropriate error function with respect to parameters of the network (weights and learning rates) corresponding to excitory and inhibitory connections. We propose here a technique for error minimization based on the use of the truncated Newton (TN) large-scale unconstrained minimization technique with quadratic convergence rate. This technique offers a more sophisticated use of the gradient information compared to simple steepest descent or conjugate gradient methods. In this work we briefly specify the necessary details for implementing the TN method for training the neural networks that predicts the viscoplastic behavior of the polymeric composite. We provide comparative experimental results and explicit model results to verify the effectiveness of the neural networks-based model. These results verify the superiority of the present approach compared to the explicit modeling scheme. Moreover, the present study demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of introducing the TN method, with quadratic convergence rate, to the field of neural networks.