What are hidden layers?

A hidden layer is like a secret helper inside a machine that helps it learn and make smart decisions.

Imagine you're trying to sort your toys, some are cars, some are dolls, and some are blocks. You might use one rule: "If it rolls, it's a car." But what if some blocks can roll too? That’s when a hidden layer comes in handy. It adds another step between the toy and your decision, maybe it looks at how round the toy is or how heavy it feels.

Think of a hidden layer as a middle friend who helps you make better choices. This friend sees all the clues (like shape, size, weight) and gives you more helpful hints before you decide what kind of toy it is.

Without this helper, your rules might be too simple, like just checking if something rolls. With a hidden layer, your machine can understand more complicated ideas by breaking them into smaller, easier steps.