Machine Learning: Theory and Practice

Machine Learning: Theory and Practice provides an introduction to the most popular methods in machine learning. The book covers regression including regularization, tree-based methods including Random Forests and Boosted Trees, Artificial Neural Networks including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), reinforcement learning, and unsupervised learning focused on clustering. Topics are introduced in a conceptual manner along with necessary mathematical details. The explanations are lucid, illustrated with figures and examples. For each machine learning method discussed, the book presents appropriate libraries in the R programming language along with programming examples.

Features:

• Provides an easy-to-read presentation of commonly used machine learning algorithms in a manner suitable for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students, and mathematically and/or programming-oriented individuals who want to learn machine learning on their own.
• Covers mathematical details of the machine learning algorithms discussed to ensure firm understanding, enabling further exploration
• Presents worked out suitable programming examples, thus ensuring conceptual, theoretical and practical understanding of the machine learning methods.

This book is aimed primarily at introducing essential topics in Machine Learning to advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. The number of topics has been kept deliberately small so that it can all be covered in a semester or a quarter. The topics are covered in depth, within limits of what can be taught in a short period of time. Thus, the book can provide foundations that will empower a student to read advanced books and research papers.