What are machine learning algorithms?

Machine learning algorithms are pieces of code that help people explore, analyze, and find meaning in complex data sets. Each algorithm is a finite set of unambiguous step-by-step instructions that a machine can follow to achieve a certain goal. In a machine learning model, the goal is to establish or discover patterns that people can use to make predictions or categorize information. What is machine learning?

Machine learning algorithms use parameters that are based on training data—a subset of data that represents the larger set. As the training data expands to represent the world more realistically, the algorithm calculates more accurate results.

Different algorithms analyze data in different ways. They’re often grouped by the machine learning techniques that they’re used for: supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. The most commonly used algorithms use regression and classification to predict target categories, find unusual data points, predict values, and discover similarities.

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