A formal selection and pruning technique based on the concept of local relative sensitivity index is proposed for feedforward artificial neural networks. The mechanism of backpropagation training algorithm is revisited and the theoretical foundation of the improved selection and pruning technique is presented. This technique is based on parallel pruning of weights which are relatively redundant in a subgroup of a feedforward neural network. Comparative studies with a similar technique proposed in the literature show that the improved technique provides better pruning results in terms of reduction of model residues, improvement of generalization capability and reduction of network complexity. The effectiveness of the improved technique is demonstrated in developing neural network (NN) models of a number of nonlinear systems including three bit parity problem, Van der Pol equation, a chemical processes and two nonlinear discrete-time systems using the backpropagation training algorithm with adaptive learning rate.

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