Master Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) with TensorFlow in Python 3

Are you ready to take your Python skills to the next level and dive deep into the fascinating world of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) using Python 3 and TensorFlow? If you’re between the ages of 18 to 30 and aspire to become a Python pro, you’re in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unravel the mysteries of RNNs, step by step, with detailed explanations, real-world examples, and captivating plots. By the time you finish reading, you’ll not only grasp the essence of RNNs but also be well on your way to mastering Python’s powerful capabilities.

Unveiling Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN)

Before we embark on our journey of building Recurrent Neural Networks, let’s first understand what they are and why they’re pivotal in the world of machine learning.

Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) are a class of deep learning models specifically designed to work with sequential data. They have a unique ability to retain information from previous time steps, making them ideal for tasks like natural language processing, time series prediction, and more.

Setting Up Your Python Environment

To get started, make sure your Python environment is well-prepared. If you haven’t already, ensure Python 3 is installed on your system. Additionally, you’ll need to install TensorFlow, your trusty companion for building neural networks. You can install it via pip:

pip install tensorflow

Other essential libraries you’ll need include NumPy, Matplotlib, and scikit-learn for data manipulation and visualization:

pip install numpy matplotlib scikit-learn yfinance

With your environment ready, let’s embark on a journey to explore Recurrent Neural Networks.

Building a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN)

For this tutorial, we’ll create an RNN that can predict stock prices using historical data. We’ll go through the process step by step.

Importing Essential Libraries

Let’s begin by importing the necessary libraries:

import tensorflow as tf
from tensorflow import keras
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

Loading the Dataset

We’ll use historical stock price data for this example. You can find suitable datasets on financial data websites or use libraries to fetch the data directly. For instance:

import yfinance as yf

data = yf.download('AAPL', start='2010-01-01', end='2022-01-01')

[*********************100%%**********************]  1 of 1 completed

This fetches historical Apple Inc. (AAPL) stock data from Yahoo Finance.

Data Preprocessing

Data preprocessing is a crucial step. We’ll normalize the data and reshape it to fit the Recurrent Neural Network’s input requirements:

data['Adj Close'] = data['Adj Close'] / 100  # Normalize data
sequence_length = 10  # Define the sequence length
X = []  # Input sequences
y = []  # Corresponding target values

for i in range(len(data) - sequence_length):
    X.append(data['Adj Close'].values[i:i+sequence_length])
    y.append(data['Adj Close'].values[i+sequence_length])

X = np.array(X)
y = np.array(y)

X = np.reshape(X, (X.shape[0], X.shape[1], 1))

This code prepares the data for training your RNN model.

Building the RNN Model

Now, let’s create our Recurrent Neural Network model. We’ll define a model with LSTM layers, which are well-suited for sequential data.

model = keras.Sequential([
    keras.layers.LSTM(50, return_sequences=True, input_shape=(X.shape[1], 1)),
    keras.layers.LSTM(50, return_sequences=False),
    keras.layers.Dense(25),
    keras.layers.Dense(1)
])

In this model, we’re using LSTM layers for their excellent sequential data handling capabilities.

Compiling the Model

Let’s compile the model, specifying the optimizer and loss function:

model.compile(optimizer='adam', loss='mean_squared_error')

Training the Model

Now it’s time to train the Recurrent Neural Network on your stock price data:

model.fit(X, y, batch_size=1, epochs=5)

Epoch 1/5
3011/3011 [==============================] - 16s 4ms/step - loss: 0.0025
Epoch 2/5
3011/3011 [==============================] - 13s 4ms/step - loss: 0.0013
Epoch 3/5
3011/3011 [==============================] - 14s 4ms/step - loss: 8.8742e-04
Epoch 4/5
3011/3011 [==============================] - 14s 5ms/step - loss: 7.0955e-04
Epoch 5/5
3011/3011 [==============================] - 15s 5ms/step - loss: 7.2334e-04

Training will take some time, depending on the dataset size and complexity of your model.

Making Predictions

After training, we can use the model to make predictions. For instance, you can predict the next day’s stock price:

predictions = model.predict(X[-1].reshape(1, sequence_length, 1))

1/1 [==============================] - 1s 676ms/step
95/95 [==============================] - 0s 3ms/step

Visualizing the Predictions

To make sense of the predictions, let’s create some visualizations. Use Matplotlib to plot the actual stock prices and the predicted prices to see how well your Recurrent Neural Network is performing.

predicted_prices = model.predict(X)
plt.figure(figsize=(16, 8))
plt.title('Stock Price Prediction')
plt.plot(data.index[:-10], data['Adj Close'][:-10], label='Actual Price')
plt.plot(data.index[-10:], data['Adj Close'][-10:], label='Last 10 Days')
plt.plot(data.index[-10:], predicted_prices[-10:], label='Predicted Price')
plt.xlabel('Date')
plt.ylabel('Stock Price')
plt.legend()
plt.show()

This will give you a visual representation of your RNN’s performance.

Conclusion

In this extensive tutorial, we’ve journeyed through the world of Recurrent Neural Networks using Python 3 and TensorFlow. We used historical stock price data to predict future prices, and we visualized the results. As you continue your path toward Python pro status, remember that Recurrent Neural Networks are just one facet of the exciting world of deep learning.

With practice and dedication, you’ll soon tackle more complex problems and build advanced neural networks that can handle a wide range of sequential data tasks. So, keep coding, keep learning, and keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with Python and RNNs.

Your journey to Python pro status is just beginning.

Also, check out our other playlist Rasa Chatbot, Internet of things, Docker, Python Programming, Machine Learning, MQTT, Tech News, ESP-IDF etc.
Become a member of our social family on youtube here.
Stay tuned and Happy Learning. ✌🏻😃
Happy coding! ❤️🔥