Machine Learning
20/10/2017
Introduction to ML
The study of algorithms and systems that improve their
performance with experience
Experience = data / measurements / observations
Deals with the construction and study of systems that can
learn from data
Types of Learning Paradigms
Supervised Learning
Unsupervised Learning
Supervised Learning
A training set of examples with the correct responses (targets)
are provided and, based on this training set, the algorithm
generalizes to respond correctly to all possible inputs.
This is also called learning from exemplars.
Example:
Would like to be able to predict an outcome of interest y for an object x
Learn function y=f(x)
We are given data with pairs {<xi,yi>: i=1,…,n}, xi: representation of an
object, yi: representation of a known outcome
Learn the function y=f(x) that generalizes from the data the “best” (has
min avg error)
Supervised Learning Tasks
Regression
Classification
Regression
Fit a mathematical function describing a curve, so that the
curve passes as close as possible to all of the data points
A problem of function approximation or interpolation, working
out the value between values that we know
A measure of the relation between the mean value of one
variable and corresponding values of other variables
Is a statistical process for estimating the relationships among
variables
Regression means to predict the output value using training
data
If it is a real number/continuous, then it is regression problem
E.g. regression to predict the house price from training data
Classification
The classification problem consists of taking input vectors and
deciding which of N classes they belong to, based on training
from exemplars of each class
Predict class from observations
Classification means to group the output into a class
If it is discrete/categorical variable, then it is classification
problem
E.g. classification to predict the type of tumor i.e. benign or
malignant using training data
Neural Networks
An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is an information
processing paradigm that is inspired by the way biological
nervous systems, such as the brain, process information
ANNs learn by example
Provide a robust approach to approximating real-valued,
discrete-valued, and vector-valued target functions
Can be used to extract patterns and detect trends that are
too complex to be noticed by either humans or other
computer techniques
ANN Representation – Feed-forward
Networks
Many neurons can be joined together by communication
links to carry out complex computations
Can be described as a graph whose nodes are the neurons
and each (directed) edge in the graph links the output of
some neurons to the input of another neuron
Feed-forward ANNs allow signals to travel one way only, from
input to output
There is no feedback (loops) in feed-forward ANNs
Network Layers
The commonest type of ANN consists of 3 groups/layers/units
A layer of input units is connected to a layer of hidden, which
is connected to a layer of output units
The activity of the input units represents the raw information
that is fed into the network
The activity of each hidden unit is determined by the activities
of the input units and the weights on the connections
between the input and the hidden units
The behavior of the output units depends on the activity of
the hidden units and the weights between the hidden and
output units
Transfer Function
The behavior of an ANN depends on both the weights and
the input-output function that is specified for the units
3 categories of transfer function:
Linear: the output activity is proportional to the total weighted
output
Threshold: the output is set at one of two levels, depending on
whether the total input is greater than or less than some
threshold value
Sigmoid: the output varies continuously but not linearly as the
input changes
Continue with..
Neural Networks Learning
Model Selection
Support Vector Machines (SVMs)
Kernels
Unsupervised Learning - Clustering (K-Means algorithm)
Dimensionality Reduction (Principal Component Analysis)
References
https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning
https://books.google.gr/books/about/Pattern_Recognition_and_Machine_
Learning.html?id=HL4HrgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tom/mlbook.html
https://books.google.gr/books/about/Understanding_Machine_Learning.ht
ml?id=ttJkAwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
