R: Data Analysis and Visualization

How machines learn

A formal definition of machine learning proposed by computer scientist Tom M. Mitchell states that a machine learns whenever it is able to utilize its an experience such that its performance improves on similar experiences in the future. Although this definition is intuitive, it completely ignores the process of exactly how experience can be translated into future action—and of course learning is always easier said than done!

While human brains are naturally capable of learning from birth, the conditions necessary for computers to learn must be made explicit. For this reason, although it is not strictly necessary to understand the theoretical basis of learning, this foundation helps understand, distinguish, and implement machine ...