Data Mining: Practical Machine Learning Tools and Techniques with Java Implementations (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) - Softcover

This text is remarkable with its comprehensive review of recent research on machine learning, all told in a very approachable style. (While there is plenty of math in some sections, the authors' explanations are always clear.) The book tours the nature of machine learning and how it can be used to find predictive patterns in data comprehensible to managers and developers alike. And they use sample data (for such topics as weather, contact lens prescriptions, and flowers) to illustrate key concepts.

After setting out to explain the types of machine learning models (like decision trees and classification rules), the book surveys algorithms used to implement them, plus strategies for improving performance and the reliability of results. Later the book turns to the authors' downloadable Weka (rhymes with "Mecca") Java class library, which lets you experiment with data mining hands-on and gets you started with this technology in custom applications. Final sections look at the bright prospects for data mining and machine learning on the Internet (for example, in Web search engines).

Precise but never pedantic, this admirably clear title delivers a real-world perspective on advantages of data mining and machine learning. Besides a programming how-to, it can be read profitably by any manager or developer who wants to see what leading-edge machine learning techniques can do for their software. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Data mining and machine learning basics, sample datasets and applications for data mining, machine learning vs. statistics, the ethics of data mining, generalization, concepts, attributes, missing values, decision tables and trees, classification rules, association rules, exceptions, numeric prediction, clustering, algorithms and implementations in Java, inferring rules, statistical modeling, covering algorithms, linear models, support vector machines, instance-based learning, credibility, cross-validation, probability, costs (lift charts and ROC curves), selecting attributes, data cleansing, combining multiple models (bagging, boosting, and stacking), Weka (reusable Java classes for machine learning), customizing Weka, visualizing machine learning, working with massive datasets, text mining, and e-mail and the Internet.

"This is a milestone in the synthesis of data mining, data analysis, information theory, and machine learning."

-Jim Gray, Microsoft Research

This book offers a thorough grounding in machine learning concepts as well as practical advice on applying machine learning tools and techniques in real-world data mining situations. Inside, you'll learn all you need to know about preparing inputs, interpreting outputs, evaluating results, and the algorithmic methods at the heart of successful data mining―including both tried-and-true techniques of the past and Java-based methods at the leading edge of contemporary research. If you're involved at any level in the work of extracting usable knowledge from large collections of data, this clearly written and effectively illustrated book will prove an invaluable resource.

Complementing the authors' instruction is a fully functional platform-independent Java software system for machine learning, available for download. Apply it to the sample data sets provided to refine your data mining skills, apply it to your own data to discern meaningful patterns and generate valuable insights, adapt it for your specialized data mining applications, or use it to develop your own machine learning schemes.

* Helps you select appropriate approaches to particular problems and to compare and evaluate the results of different techniques.

* Covers performance improvement techniques, including input preprocessing and combining output from different methods.

* Comes with downloadable machine learning software: use it to master the techniques covered inside, apply it to your own projects, and/or customize it to meet special needs.