This document provides an overview of artificial neural networks. It discusses the biological inspiration from neurons in the brain and how artificial neural networks mimic this structure. The key components of artificial neurons and various network architectures are described, including fully connected, layered, feedforward, and modular networks. Supervised and unsupervised learning approaches are covered, with backpropagation highlighted as a commonly used supervised algorithm. Applications of neural networks are mentioned in areas like medicine, business, marketing and credit evaluation. Advantages include the ability to handle complex nonlinear problems and noisy data.