COMP717 Machine Learning

Assignment 1

Due Date: 15/09/2017

Submit a typed hardcopy (Westville)

PMB submit on Moodle

Question 1 [20 marks]

a) Explain briefly, the concept of machine learning, highlighting the main importance of this
subject area. [4]
b) Find a possible machine learning application. Discuss it and justify the use of machine
learning in it. [5]
c) For the application you found in (b), describe precisely the task, performance measure, and
training experience. Also propose a target function to be learned and a representation for the
target. [6]
d) Explain the no free lunch theorem using an appropriate machine learning related example.
[5]

Question 2 [10 marks]

One application of machine learning is basket analysis, which is finding associations between
products bought by customers: if people who buy X typically also buy Y, and if there is a
customer who buys X and does not buy Y, he or she is a potential Y customer.

a) Assuming that you are given a database of customer transactions, how can you find these
dependencies? [5]

b) How would you generalize this to more than two items? [5]
Question 3 [10 marks]

Determine whether the following arguments are inductive. Justify your answer.

a) The sum of the interior angles of any triangle is 180. In triangle #1, angle A is 30, angle B
is 90. Therefore, angle C is 60.
b) If I make an A, then I will pass this course. Odds are, I will make a B. So, I probably won't
pass this course.
c) The situation in America today is much like that of ancient Rome before its fall, in that the
U.S. is controlled by a small group of self-serving individuals. It is inevitable that within 50
years America will suffer the same fate as Rome.
d) The platypus is not a mammal because no mammal lays eggs and the female platypus does.
e) The last time I ate here, the shrimp dish I ordered was disgusting. It must be the case that this
restaurant buys lousy seafood.
f) The sign on the candy machine reads "Out of Order." The candy machine must be broken.
g) All guitar players are musicians, and some guitar players are not astronauts. It follows that
some musicians are not astronauts.
h) Irene likes either coffee or tea in the morning. But she doesn't like tea. Therefore Irene likes
coffee in the morning.
i) These mushrooms have a very similar appearance to the ones growing in the garden. The
ones in the garden are edible. The conclusion is therefore warranted that these mushrooms
are edible.
j) My birthday is six days after my sister's birthday. My birthday is on the 12th. Therefore, my
sister's birthday is on the 18th.

Question 4 [10 marks]

Movie Title Number of Number of Type of movie

kicks kisses
California Man 3 104 Romance
Hes Not Really into 2 100 Romance
Dudes
Beautiful woman 1 81 Romance
Kevin Longblade 101 10 Action
Robo Slayer 300 99 5 Action
Amped II 98 2 Action
X 18 90 Unknown
Y 20 20 Unknown

Given the table above, compute the type of movie X, and Y, using Python or Weka, using at least
two different algorithms. You should explain the algorithm(s) used, and show clearly how the
algorithms used are implemented solution (with code and snapshots). [10]