Book Image

Statistics for Machine Learning

By : Pratap Dangeti
Book Image

Statistics for Machine Learning

By: Pratap Dangeti

Overview of this book

Complex statistics in machine learning worry a lot of developers. Knowing statistics helps you build strong machine learning models that are optimized for a given problem statement. This book will teach you all it takes to perform the complex statistical computations that are required for machine learning. You will gain information on the statistics behind supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, and more. You will see real-world examples that discuss the statistical side of machine learning and familiarize yourself with it. You will come across programs for performing tasks such as modeling, parameter fitting, regression, classification, density collection, working with vectors, matrices, and more. By the end of the book, you will have mastered the statistics required for machine learning and will be able to apply your new skills to any sort of industry problem.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Title Page
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Customer Feedback
Preface

Logistic regression – introduction and advantages


Logistic regression applies maximum likelihood estimation after transforming the dependent variable into a logit variable (natural log of the odds of the dependent variable occurring or not) with respect to independent variables. In this way, logistic regression estimates the probability of a certain event occurring. In the following equation, log of odds changes linearly as a function of explanatory variables:

One can simply ask, why odds, log(odds) and not probability? In fact, this is interviewers favorite question in analytics interviews.

The reason is as follows:

By converting probability to log(odds), we have expanded the range from [0, 1] to [- ∞, +∞ ]. By fitting model on probability we will encounter a restricted range problem, and also by applying log transformation, we cover-up the non-linearity involved and we can just fit with a linear combination of variables.

One more question one ask is what will happen if someone fit the linear...