Use of periodic and monotonic activation functions in multilayer feedforward neural networks trained by extended Kalman filter algorithm

The authors investigate the convergence and pruning performance of multilayer feedforward neural networks with different types of neuronal activation functions in solving various problems. Three types of activation functions are adopted in the network, namely, the traditional sigmoid function, the sinusoidal function and a periodic function that can be considered as a combination of the first two functions. To speed up the learning, as well as to reduce the network size, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm conjunct with a pruning method is used to train the network. The corresponding networks are applied to solve five typical problems, namely, 4-point XOR logic function, parity generation, handwritten digit recognition, piecewise linear function approximation and sunspot series prediction. Simulation results show that periodic activation functions perform better than monotonic ones in solving multicluster classification problems. Moreover, the combined periodic activation function is found to possess the fast convergence and multicluster classification capabilities of the sinusoidal activation function while keeping the robustness property of the sigmoid function required in the modelling of unknown systems