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Course Outline

Introduction

This section offers a general overview of when to apply 'machine learning', key considerations, and the underlying concepts, including benefits and drawbacks. It covers data types (structured/unstructured/static/streamed), data validity/volume, data-driven vs. user-driven analytics, statistical models vs. machine learning models, challenges in unsupervised learning, the bias-variance trade-off, iteration/evaluation, cross-validation approaches, and supervised/unsupervised/reinforcement learning.

MAJOR TOPICS

1. Understanding Naive Bayes

  • Basic concepts of Bayesian methods
  • Probability
  • Joint probability
  • Conditional probability using Bayes' theorem
  • The Naive Bayes algorithm
  • Naive Bayes classification
  • The Laplace estimator
  • Applying numeric features with Naive Bayes

2. Understanding Decision Trees

  • The divide and conquer approach
  • The C5.0 decision tree algorithm
  • Selecting the optimal split
  • Pruning the decision tree

3. Understanding Neural Networks

  • From biological to artificial neurons
  • Activation functions
  • Network topology
  • Determining the number of layers
  • The direction of information flow
  • Configuring the number of nodes per layer
  • Training neural networks via backpropagation
  • Deep Learning

4. Understanding Support Vector Machines

  • Classification using hyperplanes
  • Identifying the maximum margin
  • Handling linearly separable data
  • Handling non-linearly separable data
  • Employing kernels for non-linear spaces

5. Understanding Clustering

  • Clustering as a machine learning task
  • The k-means algorithm for clustering
  • Utilizing distance for cluster assignment and updates
  • Selecting the appropriate number of clusters

6. Measuring Classification Performance

  • Working with classification prediction data
  • In-depth analysis of confusion matrices
  • Utilizing confusion matrices to gauge performance
  • Moving beyond accuracy – alternative performance metrics
  • The kappa statistic
  • Sensitivity and specificity
  • Precision and recall
  • The F-measure
  • Visualizing performance trade-offs
  • ROC curves
  • Predicting future performance
  • The holdout method
  • Cross-validation
  • Bootstrap sampling

7. Tuning Standard Models for Enhanced Performance

  • Utilizing caret for automated parameter tuning
  • Constructing a simple tuned model
  • Customizing the tuning workflow
  • Boosting model performance via meta-learning
  • Understanding ensembles
  • Bagging
  • Boosting
  • Random forests
  • Training random forests
  • Assessing random forest performance

MINOR TOPICS

8. Understanding Classification via Nearest Neighbors

  • The kNN algorithm
  • Distance calculation
  • Selecting an appropriate k
  • Data preparation for kNN
  • Why the kNN algorithm is considered 'lazy'

9. Understanding Classification Rules

  • The separate and conquer strategy
  • The One Rule algorithm
  • The RIPPER algorithm
  • Deriving rules from decision trees

10. Understanding Regression

  • Simple linear regression
  • Ordinary least squares estimation
  • Correlations
  • Multiple linear regression

11. Understanding Regression Trees and Model Trees

  • Incorporating regression into trees

12. Understanding Association Rules

  • The Apriori algorithm for association rule learning
  • Measuring rule interest – support and confidence
  • Constructing a rule set using the Apriori principle

Extras

  • Spark/PySpark/MLlib and Multi-armed bandits

Requirements

Knowledge of Python

 21 Hours

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