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I wouldn't read a book from an author who reasons and writes like that. The issue he is having with PCA can be solved by normalizing the data.
by Scea91 10y ago
I wouldn't read a book from an author who reasons and writes like that.
The issue he is having with PCA can be solved by normalizing the data.
- conjectures 10y agoMcKay did foundational research in machine learning; was a chief scientific advisor to the UK government's department for climate change; created eye tracking user interface software for paralysed people; and wrote an excellent text book on information theory. I.e. a proper Olympian. So when you read a statement like that, you should take it seriously and possibly realign your world-view.
- Xcelerate 10y agoI'm sure David MacKay is well aware of the need for normalization — his point is that people use PCA without understanding what it means and how to perform it properly. Memorizing a technique without having any idea of why the technique works often leads to meaningless (or worse, incorrect) interpretations of data.