Introduction to Machine Learning

What is Machine Learning?

A subset of artificial intelligence known as machine learning focuses primarily on the creation of
algorithms that enable a computer to independently learn from data and previous experiences. Arthur
Samuel first used the term "machine learning" in 1959. It could be summarized as follows:

Without being explicitly programmed, machine learning enables a machine to automatically learn from
data, improve performance from experiences, and predict things.

Machine learning algorithms create a mathematical model that, without being explicitly programmed,
aids in making predictions or decisions with the assistance of sample historical data, or training data.
For the purpose of developing predictive models, machine learning brings together statistics and
computer science. Algorithms that learn from historical data are either constructed or utilized in
machine learning. The performance will rise in proportion to the quantity of information we provide.

A machine can learn if it can gain more data to improve its performance.

How does Machine Learning work

A machine learning system builds prediction models, learns from previous data, and predicts the
output of new data whenever it receives it. The amount of data helps to build a better model that
accurately predicts the output, which in turn affects the accuracy of the predicted output.

Let's say we have a complex problem in which we need to make predictions. Instead of writing code,
we just need to feed the data to generic algorithms, which build the logic based on the data and predict
the output. Our perspective on the issue has changed as a result of machine learning. The Machine
Learning algorithm's operation is depicted in the following block diagram:

Features of Machine Learning:

o Machine learning uses data to detect various patterns in a given dataset.

o It can learn from past data and improve automatically.
o It is a data-driven technology.
o Machine learning is much similar to data mining as it also deals with the huge amount of the
data.

Need for Machine Learning

The demand for machine learning is steadily rising. Because it is able to perform tasks that are too
complex for a person to directly implement, machine learning is required. Humans are constrained by
our inability to manually access vast amounts of data; as a result, we require computer systems, which
is where machine learning comes in to simplify our lives.
By providing them with a large amount of data and allowing them to automatically explore the data,
build models, and predict the required output, we can train machine learning algorithms. The cost
function can be used to determine the amount of data and the machine learning algorithm's
performance. We can save both time and money by using machine learning.

The significance of AI can be handily perceived by its utilization's cases, Presently, AI is utilized in self-
driving vehicles, digital misrepresentation identification, face acknowledgment, and companion idea
by Facebook, and so on. Different top organizations, for example, Netflix and Amazon have constructed
AI models that are utilizing an immense measure of information to examine the client interest and
suggest item likewise.

Following are some key points which show the importance of Machine Learning:

 Rapid increment in the production of data

 Solving complex problems, which are difficult for a human
 Decision making in various sector including finance
 Finding hidden patterns and extracting useful information from data.

Classification of Machine Learning

At a broad level, machine learning can be classified into three types:

 Supervised learning
 Unsupervised learning
 Semi-supervised learning
 Reinforcement learning

1) Supervised Learning

In supervised learning, sample labeled data are provided to the machine learning system for training,
and the system then predicts the output based on the training data.

The system uses labeled data to build a model that understands the datasets and learns about each
one. After the training and processing are done, we test the model with sample data to see if it can
accurately predict the output.

The mapping of the input data to the output data is the objective of supervised learning. The managed
learning depends on oversight, and it is equivalent to when an understudy learns things in the
management of the educator. Spam filtering is an example of supervised learning.
Supervised learning can be grouped further in two categories of algorithms:

 Classification
 Regression

2) Unsupervised Learning

Unsupervised learning is a learning method in which a machine learns without any supervision.

The training is provided to the machine with the set of data that has not been labeled, classified, or
categorized, and the algorithm needs to act on that data without any supervision. The goal of
unsupervised learning is to restructure the input data into new features or a group of objects with
similar patterns.

In unsupervised learning, we don't have a predetermined result. The machine tries to find useful
insights from the huge amount of data. It can be further classifieds into two categories of algorithms:

 Clustering
 Association

3) Reinforcement Learning

Reinforcement learning is a feedback-based learning method, in which a learning agent gets a reward
for each right action and gets a penalty for each wrong action. The agent learns automatically with
these feedbacks and improves its performance. In reinforcement learning, the agent interacts with the
environment and explores it. The goal of an agent is to get the most reward points, and hence, it
improves its performance.

The robotic dog, which automatically learns the movement of his arms, is an example of Reinforcement
learning.

Applications of Machine learning

Machine learning is a buzzword for today's technology, and it is growing very rapidly day by day. We
are using machine learning in our daily life even without knowing it such as Google Maps, Google
assistant, Alexa, etc. Below are some most trending real-world applications of Machine Learning:
1. Image Recognition:

Image recognition is one of the most common applications of machine learning. It is used to identify
objects, persons, places, digital images, etc. The popular use case of image recognition and face
detection is, Automatic friend tagging suggestion:

Facebook provides us a feature of auto friend tagging suggestion. Whenever we upload a photo with
our Facebook friends, then we automatically get a tagging suggestion with name, and the technology
behind this is machine learning's face detection and recognition algorithm.

It is based on the Facebook project named "Deep Face," which is responsible for face recognition and
person identification in the picture.

2. Speech Recognition

While using Google, we get an option of "Search by voice," it comes under speech recognition, and it's
a popular application of machine learning.

Speech recognition is a process of converting voice instructions into text, and it is also known as
"Speech to text", or "Computer speech recognition." At present, machine learning algorithms are
widely used by various applications of speech recognition. Google assistant, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa
are using speech recognition technology to follow the voice instructions.

3. Traffic prediction:

If we want to visit a new place, we take help of Google Maps, which shows us the correct path with
the shortest route and predicts the traffic conditions.

It predicts the traffic conditions such as whether traffic is cleared, slow-moving, or heavily congested
with the help of two ways:

Real Time location of the vehicle form Google Map app and sensors

Average time has taken on past days at the same time.

Everyone who is using Google Map is helping this app to make it better. It takes information from the
user and sends back to its database to improve the performance.

4. Product recommendations:

Machine learning is widely used by various e-commerce and entertainment companies such as
Amazon, Netflix, etc., for product recommendation to the user. Whenever we search for some product
on Amazon, then we started getting an advertisement for the same product while internet surfing on
the same browser and this is because of machine learning.

Google understands the user interest using various machine learning algorithms and suggests the
product as per customer interest.

As similar, when we use Netflix, we find some recommendations for entertainment series, movies, etc.,
and this is also done with the help of machine learning.

5. Self-driving cars:
One of the most exciting applications of machine learning is self-driving cars. Machine learning plays a
significant role in self-driving cars. Tesla, the most popular car manufacturing company is working on
self-driving car. It is using unsupervised learning method to train the car models to detect people and
objects while driving.

6. Email Spam and Malware Filtering:

Whenever we receive a new email, it is filtered automatically as important, normal, and spam. We
always receive an important mail in our inbox with the important symbol and spam emails in our spam
box, and the technology behind this is Machine learning. Below are some spam filters used by Gmail:

Content Filter

Header filter

General blacklists filter

Rules-based filters

Permission filters

Some machine learning algorithms such as Multi-Layer Perceptron, Decision tree, and Naïve Bayes
classifier are used for email spam filtering and malware detection.

7. Virtual Personal Assistant:

We have various virtual personal assistants such as Google assistant, Alexa, Cortana, Siri. As the name
suggests, they help us in finding the information using our voice instruction. These assistants can help
us in various ways just by our voice instructions such as Play music, call someone, Open an email,
Scheduling an appointment, etc.

These virtual assistants use machine learning algorithms as an important part.

These assistant record our voice instructions, send it over the server on a cloud, and decode it using
ML algorithms and act accordingly.

8. Online Fraud Detection:

Machine learning is making our online transaction safe and secure by detecting fraud transaction.
Whenever we perform some online transaction, there may be various ways that a fraudulent
transaction can take place such as fake accounts, fake ids, and steal money in the middle of a
transaction. So to detect this, Feed Forward Neural network helps us by checking whether it is a
genuine transaction or a fraud transaction.

For each genuine transaction, the output is converted into some hash values, and these values become
the input for the next round. For each genuine transaction, there is a specific pattern which gets change
for the fraud transaction hence, it detects it and makes our online transactions more secure.

9. Stock Market trading:

Machine learning is widely used in stock market trading. In the stock market, there is always a risk of
up and downs in shares, so for this machine learning's long short term memory neural network is used
for the prediction of stock market trends.

10. Medical Diagnosis:

In medical science, machine learning is used for diseases diagnoses. With this, medical technology is
growing very fast and able to build 3D models that can predict the exact position of lesions in the brain.

It helps in finding brain tumors and other brain-related diseases easily.

11. Automatic Language Translation:

Nowadays, if we visit a new place and we are not aware of the language then it is not a problem at all,
as for this also machine learning helps us by converting the text into our known languages. Google's
GNMT (Google Neural Machine Translation) provide this feature, which is a Neural Machine Learning
that translates the text into our familiar language, and it called as automatic translation.

The technology behind the automatic translation is a sequence to sequence learning algorithm, which
is used with image recognition and translates the text from one language to another language.

Machine learning Life cycle

Machine learning has given the computer systems the abilities to automatically learn without being
explicitly programmed. But how does a machine learning system work? So, it can be described using
the life cycle of machine learning. Machine learning life cycle is a cyclic process to build an efficient
machine learning project. The main purpose of the life cycle is to find a solution to the problem or
project.

Machine learning life cycle involves seven major steps, which are given below:

 Gathering Data
 Data preparation
 Data Wrangling
 Analyse Data
 Train the model
 Test the model
 Deployment
The most important thing in the complete process is to understand the problem and to know the
purpose of the problem. Therefore, before starting the life cycle, we need to understand the problem
because the good result depends on the better understanding of the problem.

In the complete life cycle process, to solve a problem, we create a machine learning system called
"model", and this model is created by providing "training". But to train a model, we need data, hence,
life cycle starts by collecting data.

1. Gathering Data:

Data Gathering is the first step of the machine learning life cycle. The goal of this step is to identify and
obtain all data-related problems.

In this step, we need to identify the different data sources, as data can be collected from various
sources such as files, database, internet, or mobile devices. It is one of the most important steps of the
life cycle. The quantity and quality of the collected data will determine the efficiency of the output.
The more will be the data, the more accurate will be the prediction.

This step includes the below tasks:

 Identify various data sources

 Collect data
 Integrate the data obtained from different sources

By performing the above task, we get a coherent set of data, also called as a dataset. It will be used in
further steps.

2. Data preparation

After collecting the data, we need to prepare it for further steps. Data preparation is a step where we
put our data into a suitable place and prepare it to use in our machine learning training.

In this step, first, we put all data together, and then randomize the ordering of data.

This step can be further divided into two processes:

Data exploration:
It is used to understand the nature of data that we have to work with. We need to understand the
characteristics, format, and quality of data.

A better understanding of data leads to an effective outcome. In this, we find Correlations, general
trends, and outliers.

Data pre-processing:

Now the next step is preprocessing of data for its analysis.

3. Data Wrangling

Data wrangling is the process of cleaning and converting raw data into a useable format. It is the
process of cleaning the data, selecting the variable to use, and transforming the data in a proper format
to make it more suitable for analysis in the next step. It is one of the most important steps of the
complete process. Cleaning of data is required to address the quality issues.
It is not necessary that data we have collected is always of our use as some of the data may not be
useful. In real-world applications, collected data may have various issues, including:

 Missing Values
 Duplicate data
 Invalid data
 Noise

So, we use various filtering techniques to clean the data.

It is mandatory to detect and remove the above issues because it can negatively affect the quality of
the outcome.

4. Data Analysis

Now the cleaned and prepared data is passed on to the analysis step. This step involves:

 Selection of analytical techniques

 Building models
 Review the result

The aim of this step is to build a machine learning model to analyze the data using various analytical
techniques and review the outcome. It starts with the determination of the type of the problems,
where we select the machine learning techniques such as Classification, Regression, Cluster analysis,
Association, etc. then build the model using prepared data, and evaluate the model.

Hence, in this step, we take the data and use machine learning algorithms to build the model.

5. Train Model

Now the next step is to train the model, in this step we train our model to improve its performance for
better outcome of the problem.

We use datasets to train the model using various machine learning algorithms. Training a model is
required so that it can understand the various patterns, rules, and, features.

6. Test Model

Once our machine learning model has been trained on a given dataset, then we test the model. In this
step, we check for the accuracy of our model by providing a test dataset to it.

Testing the model determines the percentage accuracy of the model as per the requirement of project
or problem.

7. Deployment

The last step of machine learning life cycle is deployment, where we deploy the model in the real-
world system.

If the above-prepared model is producing an accurate result as per our requirement with acceptable
speed, then we deploy the model in the real system. But before deploying the project, we will check
whether it is improving its performance using available data or not. The deployment phase is similar
to making the final report for a project.