Neurocomputing 

Abstract: It is clear that the learning speed of feedforward neural networks is in general far slower than required and it has been a major bottleneck in their applications for past decades. Two key reasons behind may be: (1) the slow gradient-based learning algorithms are extensively used to train neural networks, and (2) all the parameters of the networks are tuned iteratively by using such learning algorithms. Unlike these conventional implementations, this paper proposes a new learning algorithm called e xtreme l earning m achine (ELM) for s ingle-hidden l ayer f eedforward neural n etworks (SLFNs) which randomly chooses hidden nodes and analytically determines the output weights of SLFNs. In theory, this algorithm tends to provide good generalization performance at extremely fast learning speed. The experimental results based on a few artificial and real benchmark function approximation and classification problems including very large complex applications show that the new algorithm can produce good generalization performance in most cases and can learn thousands of times faster than conventional popular learning algorithms for feedforward neural networks. 1

Abstract: Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) is one of the popular linear models in time series forecasting during the past three decades. Recent research activities in forecasting with artificial neural networks (ANNs) suggest that ANNs can be a promising alternative to the traditional linear methods. ARIMA models and ANNs are often compared with mixed conclusions in terms of the superiority in forecasting performance. In this paper, a hybrid methodology that combines both ARIMA and ANN models is proposed to take advantage of the unique strength of ARIMA and ANN models in linear and nonlinear modeling. Experimental results with real data sets indicate that the combined model can be an effective way to improve forecasting accuracy achieved by either of the models used separately.

Abstract: An overview of the self-organizing map algorithm, on which the papers in this issue are based, is presented in this article.

Abstract: This work was supported in part the Royal Society of the UK, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 61329301, 61374010, and 61403319, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany.

Abstract: Support vector machines (SVMs) are promising methods for the prediction of financial time-series because they use a risk function consisting of the empirical error and a regularized term which is derived from the structural risk minimization principle. This study applies SVM to predicting the stock price index. In addition, this study examines the feasibility of applying SVM in financial forecasting by comparing it with back-propagation neural networks and case-based reasoning. The experimental results show that SVM provides a promising alternative to stock market prediction.