Category: Machine Learning
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Getting Started with PyTorch
So you want to get into machine learning and everyone keeps talking about PyTorch? Good choice! PyTorch is basically the cool kid on the ML block right now, and for good reason – it’s way more approachable than you might think. Pytorch doesn’t force you to think like a computer. You can build and tweak…
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The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Neural Networks
Ever wondered how your phone recognizes your face, or how Netflix knows exactly what show you’ll binge next? The answer is probably neural networks – the brain-inspired technology that’s quietly running a huge chunk of the AI we interact with every day. Don’t worry if the term “neural network” sounds intimidating. By the end of…
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Random Forest: The Swiss Army Knife of Machine Learning
So you’ve heard about Random Forest and you’re wondering what all the fuss is about? Well, buckle up because we’re about to dive into one of the most reliable and versatile algorithms in the machine learning toolbox. What’s This Random Forest Thing Anyway? Think of Random Forest as that friend who always gives solid advice…
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Multiple Regression with Scikit-learn: When One Variable Isn’t Enough
So you’ve mastered simple linear regression and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. You can predict house prices based on square footage, estimate salaries from years of experience, and impress your friends at parties with your newfound ML skills. But then reality hits: the real world is messy, and one variable rarely tells the whole…
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Importing Word Docs into Rapidminer
On a project for a recent client I needed to apply some common Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to surveys they had gathered, but one of the requirements for the project was that the source document had to remain in Word’s .docx format and couldn’t be exported to .txt. RapidMiner was the tool of choice…
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Introduction to RapidMiner Part 3
Now that you know how to import data and examine it, it’s time to get to the meat of RapidMiner: building a Process. And when you’re building a Process, the Design screen becomes really important.Open RapidMiner, and if it doesn’t go straight to the Design page, click on the Design tab at the top right.We’re…
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Book Review: Data Mining Techniques for Marketing, Sales, and CRM
Synopsis: Covers common analytical techniques for sales and marketingDifficulty: Intermediate I love niche books. Rather than cover a topic in broad strokes meant for widespread consumption, they target a specific kind of person and zero in on him/her. This is such a book.But first, a major gripe; this is a LONG book. Sure, it’s thick,…
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Book Review: Exploring Data with Rapidminer
Synopsis: Data preparation and visualization within a popular software toolDifficulty: Beginner Most books about a particular software tool will focus on the core capabilities of that tool, giving only cursory (if any) coverage about the housekeeping or preparatory functions. For example, most books I’ve read that discuss RapidMiner (and there aren’t many) spend 90% of…
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Book Review: Introduction to Data Science by Jeffrey Stanton
Synopsis: An explanation of common data science tasks like text analysis and regressions, coupled with an intro to the R programming language.Difficulty: Beginner There must be a hundred resources online called “Introduction to Data Science”, but let’s face it–most of them are crap. I included Dr. Stanton’s name in the title to make it easy for you…
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Introduction to RapidMiner Part 2
Now that we have RapidMiner downloaded and installed, it’s time to import a dataset so we can begin to examine it. Hopefully the quick overview of the GUI in our last post has given you enough to be able to navigate with some degree of effectiveness, but I’ll go over it a little more this…
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Introduction to RapidMiner Part 1
RapidMiner is widely used and has a free version that is ideal for learning (and even useful enough to solve some real problems day-to-day). During this three-part tutorial series we’ll download the software, load data into it, and learn how to do simple customer segmentation. Let’s go To get the free version of RapidMiner, go…