Using Hopfield Networks to Solve Assignment Problem and N-Queen Problem: An Application of Guided Trial and Error Technique

In the use of Hopfield networks to solve optimization problems, a critical problem is the determination of appropriate values of the parameters in the energy function so that the network can converge to the best valid solution. In this paper, we first investigate the relationship between the parameters in a typical class of energy functions, and consequently propose a “guided trial-and-error" technique to determine the parameter values. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated by a large number of computer simulations on the assignment problem and the N-queen problem of different sizes.