Optimization of a multilayer neural network by using minimal redundancy maximal relevance-partial mutual information...

In this paper, an optimized multilayer feed-forward network (MLFN) is developed to construct a soft sensor for controlling naphtha dry point. To overcome the two main flaws in the structure and weight of MLFNs, which are trained by a back-propagation learning algorithm, minimal redundancy maximal relevance-partial mutual information clustering (mPMIc) integrated with least square regression (LSR) is proposed to optimize the MLFN. The mPMIc can determine the location of hidden layer nodes using information in the hidden and output layers, as well as remove redundant hidden layer nodes. These selected nodes are highly related to output data, but are minimally correlated with other hidden layer nodes. The weights between the selected hidden layer nodes and output layer are then updated through LSR. When the redundant nodes from the hidden layer are removed, the ideal MLFN structure can be obtained according to the test error results. In actual applications, the naphtha dry point must be controlled accurately because it strongly affects the production yield and the stability of subsequent operational processes. The mPMIc-LSR MLFN with a simple network size performs better than other improved MLFN variants and existing efficient models.