Machine Learning
The Art and Science of Algorithms that Make Sense of Data

Covering all the main approaches in state-of-the-art machine learning research, this will set a new standard as an introductory textbook.

Peter Flach (Author)

9781107096394, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 September 2012

410 pages, 120 colour illus. 15 tables
25.4 x 19.3 x 2.3 cm, 1.04 kg

"This textbook is clearly written and well organized. Starting from the basics, the author skillfully guides the reader through his learning process by providing useful facts and insight into the behavior of several machine learning techniques, as well as the high-level pseudocode of many key algorithms." < /br>Fernando Berzal, Computing Reviews

As one of the most comprehensive machine learning texts around, this book does justice to the field's incredible richness, but without losing sight of the unifying principles. Peter Flach's clear, example-based approach begins by discussing how a spam filter works, which gives an immediate introduction to machine learning in action, with a minimum of technical fuss. Flach provides case studies of increasing complexity and variety with well-chosen examples and illustrations throughout. He covers a wide range of logical, geometric and statistical models and state-of-the-art topics such as matrix factorisation and ROC analysis. Particular attention is paid to the central role played by features. The use of established terminology is balanced with the introduction of new and useful concepts, and summaries of relevant background material are provided with pointers for revision if necessary. These features ensure Machine Learning will set a new standard as an introductory textbook.

Prologue: a machine learning sampler
1. The ingredients of machine learning
2. Binary classification and related tasks
3. Beyond binary classification
4. Concept learning
5. Tree models
6. Rule models
7. Linear models
8. Distance-based models
9. Probabilistic models
10. Features
11. In brief: model ensembles
12. In brief: machine learning experiments
Epilogue: where to go from here
Important points to remember
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Signal processing [UYS], Pattern recognition [UYQP], Machine learning [UYQM], Computer science [UY], Computer networking & communications [UT], Electronics & communications engineering [TJ]