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ColumbiaX: Machine Learning

Master the essentials of machine learning and algorithms to help improve learning from data without human intervention.

Machine Learning
12 weeks
8–10 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
This course is archived
Future dates to be announced

About this course

Skip About this course

Machine Learning is the basis for the most exciting careers in data analysis today. You’ll learn the models and methods and apply them to real world situations ranging from identifying trending news topics, to building recommendation engines, ranking sports teams and plotting the path of movie zombies.

Major perspectives covered include:

  • probabilistic versus non-probabilistic modeling
  • supervised versus unsupervised learning

Topics include: classification and regression, clustering methods, sequential models, matrix factorization, topic modeling and model selection.

Methods include: linear and logistic regression, support vector machines, tree classifiers, boosting, maximum likelihood and MAP inference, EM algorithm, hidden Markov models, Kalman filters, k-means, Gaussian mixture models, among others.

In the first half of the course we will cover supervised learning techniques for regression and classification. In this framework, we possess an output or response that we wish to predict based on a set of inputs. We will discuss several fundamental methods for performing this task and algorithms for their optimization. Our approach will be more practically motivated, meaning we will fully develop a mathematical understanding of the respective algorithms, but we will only briefly touch on abstract learning theory.

In the second half of the course we shift to unsupervised learning techniques. In these problems the end goal less clear-cut than predicting an output based on a corresponding input. We will cover three fundamental problems of unsupervised learning: data clustering, matrix factorization, and sequential models for order-dependent data. Some applications of these models include object recommendation and topic modeling.

At a glance

  • Institution: ColumbiaX
  • Subject: Computer Science
  • Level: Advanced
  • Prerequisites:
    • Calculus
    • Linear algebra
    • Probability and statistical concepts
    • Coding and comfort with data manipulation
  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Hidden Markov Model, Topic Modeling, Boosting, Data Analysis, Logistic Regression, Cluster Analysis, Supervised Learning, Mathematical Optimization, Matrix Factorization, Forecasting, Mixture Model, K-Means Clustering, Unsupervised Learning, Machine Learning, Support Vector Machine, Algorithms

What you'll learn

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  • Supervised learning techniques for regression and classification
  • Unsupervised learning techniques for data modeling and analysis
  • Probabilistic versus non-probabilistic viewpoints
  • Optimization and inference algorithms for model learning

Week 1: maximum likelihood estimation, linear regression, least squares
Week 2: ridge regression, bias-variance, Bayes rule, maximum a posteriori inference
Week 3: Bayesian linear regression, sparsity, subset selection for linear regression
Week 4: nearest neighbor classification, Bayes classifiers, linear classifiers, perceptron
Week 5: logistic regression, Laplace approximation, kernel methods, Gaussian processes
Week 6: maximum margin, support vector machines, trees, random forests, boosting
Week 7: clustering, k-means, EM algorithm, missing data
Week 8: mixtures of Gaussians, matrix factorization
Week 9: non-negative matrix factorization, latent factor models, PCA and variations
Week 10: Markov models, hidden Markov models
Week 11: continuous state-space models, association analysis
Week 12: model selection, next steps

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

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