1.1 What Is Machine Learning?
Machine learning is programming computers
to optimize a performance criterion using example
data or past experience. We have a model defined
up to some parameters, and learning is the
execution of a computer program to optimize the
parameters of the model using the training data or
past experience.
The model may be predictive to make
predictions in the future, or descriptive to gain
knowledge from data, or both.
Arthur Samuel, an early American leader in the
field of computer gaming and artificial intelligence,
coined the term “Machine Learning” in 1959 while
at IBM. He defined machine learning as “the field of
study that gives computers the ability to learn
without being explicitly programmed.” However,
there is no universally accepted definition for
machine learning. Different authors define the term
differently.
Definition of learning
Definition
A computer program is said to learn from
experience E with respect to some class of tasks T
and performance measure P, if its performance at
tasks T, as measured by P, improves with
experience E.
Examples
i) Handwriting recognition learning problem
• Task T: Recognising and classifying handwritten
words within images
• Performance P: Percent of words correctly
classified
• Training experience E: A dataset of handwritten
words with given classifications
ii) A robot driving learning problem
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• Task T: Driving on highways using vision sensors
• Performance measure P: Average distance
traveled before an error
• training experience: A sequence of
images and steering commands
recorded while observing a human
driver
iii) A chess learning problem
• Task T: Playing chess
• Performance measure P: Percent of games won
against opponents
• Training experience E: Playing practice games
against itself
Definition
A computer program which learns from
experience is called a machine learning program
or simply a learning program. Such a program is
sometimes also referred to as a learner.
1.2 Components of Learning
Basic components of learning process
The learning process, whether by a human or a machine,
can be divided into four components, namely, data storage,
abstraction, generalization and evaluation. Figure 1.1
illustrates the various components and the steps involved in
the learning process.
1. Data storage
Facilities for storing and retrieving huge
amounts of data are an important component of
the learning process. Humans and computers alike
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utilize data storage as a foundation for advanced
reasoning.
• In a human being, the data is stored in the brain and data
is retrieved using electrochemical signals.
• Computers use hard disk drives, flash memory,
random access memory and similar devices to
store data and use cables and other technology to
retrieve data.
2. Abstraction
The second component of the learning process is
known as abstraction.
Abstraction is the process of extracting knowledge
about stored data. This involves creating general
concepts about the data as a whole. The creation
of knowledge involves application of known models
and creation of new models.
The process of fitting a model to a dataset is known
as training. When the model has been trained, the
data is transformed into an abstract form that
summarizes the original information.
3. Generalization
The third component of the learning process is known
as generalisation.
The term generalization describes the process of
turning the knowledge about stored data into a
form that can be utilized for future action. These
actions are to be carried out on tasks that are
similar, but not identical, to those what have been
seen before. In generalization, the goal is to
discover those properties of the data that will be
most relevant to future tasks.
4. Evaluation
Evaluation is the last component of the learning
process.
It is the process of giving feedback to the user to measure
the utility of the learned knowledge. This feedback is
then utilized to effect improvements in the whole
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learning process
Applications of machine learning
Application of machine learning methods to
large databases is called data mining. In data
mining, a large volume of data is processed to
construct a simple model with valuable use, for
example, having high predictive accuracy.
The following is a list of some of the typical applications of
machine learning.
1. In retail business, machine learning is used to study
consumer behaviour.
2. In finance, banks analyze their past data to
build models to use in credit applications,
fraud detection, and the stock market.
3. In manufacturing, learning models are used for
optimization, control, and troubleshooting.
4. In medicine, learning programs are used for medical
diagnosis.
5. In telecommunications, call patterns are
analyzed for network optimization and
maximizing the quality of service.
6. In science, large amounts of data in physics,
astronomy, and biology can only be analyzed
fast enough by computers. The World Wide
Web is huge; it is constantly growing and
searching for relevant information cannot be
done manually.
7. In artificial intelligence, it is used to teach a
system to learn and adapt to changes so that
the system designer need not foresee and
provide solutions for all possible situations.
8. It is used to find solutions to many problems in vision,
speech recognition, and robotics.
9. Machine learning methods are applied in the
design of computer-controlled vehicles to
steer correctly when driving on a variety of
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roads.
10. Machine learning methods have been used to
develop programmes for playing games such
as chess, backgammon and Go.
