Types of Machine Learning Algorithms



Table of Contents

Machine Learning Algorithms fall roughly into three categories:

  • Supervised Learning
  • Unsupervised Learning
  • Reinforcement Learning

Supervised Learning

the algorithm learns a function from given pairs of input and output (labeled data). In other words, it generates a function that maps inputs to desired outputs.

Unsupervised Learning

The algorithm generates a model for a set of inputs (unlabeled data). The main problem of this kind of learning is partitioning the input set into subsets in such way that each subset can be handled with an appropriate function. One example of using unsupervised learning is data compression, where the probability distribution of the input set plays an important role.

Reinforcement Learning

In Reinforcement Learning the aim is the maximization of rewards given as feedback on the actions which are performed in an environment by the learning agent. In other words: "Reinforcement learning is learning what to do--how to map situations to actions--so as to maximize a numerical reward signal."

SupervisedUnsupervisedReinforcement
Modeling ApproachRegression and classificationClusteringMarkov Decision Process
popular algorithmsLinear Regression, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Neural Networks, Decision Trees, Naive Bayes, Nearest Neighbor.k-means clustering, Association ruleQ-Learning, Deep Adversarial Networks
ApplicationsPredicting ModellingDescriptive ModellingRobotics, Self-driving cars