GRA 4160 Advanced Regression and Classification Analysis, Ensemble Methods and Neural Networks
GRA 4160 Advanced Regression and Classification Analysis, Ensemble Methods and Neural Networks
The vast amount of widely available data allows machines to solve challenging tasks without explicitly being programmed to do so, often outperforming existing methods based on domain knowledge and/or human experts.
In this course we focus on basic machine learning methods, both for supervised and unsupervised learning. We will look at how exactly machines "learn" from the data, and how they use the knowledge learned during training to solve tasks of interest.
The course covers both the theory (looking at the methods more rigorously than introductory machine learning courses) and the practice of machine learning (using Python).
By the end of the course, the student should be able to:
- Explain the covered machine learning algorithms,
- Describe their applications, advantages, disadvantages, and limitations,
- Choose the appropriate learning methods to solve a given problem of interest.
By the end of the course, the student should be able to:
- Implement the basic machine learning methods from scratch,
- Design and build learning systems using existing state-of-the-art machine learning libraries,
- Train, evaluate, tune, and test these systems,
- Present and defend the results of their work in a professional and academic manner.
During the course, students will also improve their general programming and presentation skills, and practice working in teams.
- Recapitulation (supervised vs. unsupervised learning, linear regression and classification).
- Advanced regression and classification.
- Clustering.
- Neural networks (feedforward neural networks, backpropagation algorithm, stochastic gradient descent).
- Practical aspects of neural networks (e.g., architectures, weights initialization, normalization, regularization, dropout, optimized training methods).
- Ensemble methods (boosting and bagging).
- Model selection and assessment.
- Organized classes will be a mixture of lectures and working on in-class assignments.
- Students are expected to prepare for the organized classes by watching selected videos online and/or reading selected texts.
- Students are also expected to work on assignments outside of the class, either individually or in small groups.
- Mini project (in groups of 3-4 students).
Software tools: Python (including its state-of-the-art machine learning packages).
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.
At re-sit all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
Programming (preferably Python), intermediate math (including linear algebra, basic calculus, and basics of theory of probability), or similar types of courses.
Assessments |
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Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Handin - all file types Weight: 70 Grouping: Individual Duration: 30 Hour(s) Exam code: GRA 41601 Grading scale: Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade Resit: All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course |
Exam category: Activity Form of assessment: Presentation Weight: 30 Grouping: Group (3 - 4) Comment: Presentation and defense of the mini project Exam code: GRA 41601 Grading scale: Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade Resit: All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course |
Activity | Duration | Comment |
---|---|---|
Teaching | 36 Hour(s) | |
Group work / Assignments | 100 Hour(s) | |
Prepare for teaching | 12 Hour(s) | |
Examination | 16 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.