Machine Learning with Spark - Second Edition

Predictive modeling and analytics

A third area where machine learning can be applied is in predictive analytics. This is a very broad term, and in some ways, it encompasses recommendations, personalization, and targeting too. In this context, since recommendations and segmentation are somewhat distinct, we use the term predictive modeling to refer to other models that seek to make predictions. An example of this can be a model that predicts the potential viewing activity and revenue of new titles before any data is available on how popular the title might be. MovieStream can use past activity and revenue data, together with content attributes, to create a regression model that can be used to make predictions for brand new titles.

As another ...