DA1. Supervised VS Unsupervised Learning¶
Statement¶
Using your own words, describe the difference between supervised learning and unsupervised learning.
Solution¶
The table below summarizes the differences between supervised and unsupervised learning (UoPeople, 2023).
| Technique | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Supervised Learning | Model is trained on data where input and output are known in advance | Givin cells data, define if a cell is cancerous or not. |
| Unsupervised Learning | The output is unknown and the model is supposed to cluster data in a meaningful way. Further examination are needed on the output of such a model. | Givin cells data, define all possible types of cells. |
| Reinforcement Learning | The goal is to make the most correct decision that is possible right now and learn from the outcome. | Given cells data, decide if a cell is cancerous or not And notify if new category found |
As we saw, supervised learning is used in classifying data according to a rigorous rule set, like for checking if a cell is cancerous or not; we know in advance how cancerous cells look like and how non-cancerous cells look like.
On the other hand, unsupervised learning is used in clustering data in a meaningful way, like for finding all possible types of cells; and detecting new types of cells that were not known before.
References¶
- UoPeople. (2023). CS 4407 Introduction to machine learning. Lecture Notes.