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This is very, very, very good. Book is here: https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08823 https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08823 ____ My review: The authors provide a condense
by ivan_ah 8y ago
This is very, very, very good.
Book is here: https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08823 https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08823
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My review: The authors provide a condensed summary of all central topics in machine learning. Topics include ML basics, ML theory, optimization algorithms, but also a detailed introduction to modern methods deep learning methods. Code examples and tutorials are provided as jupyter notebooks for each chapter [2]. The book uses three datasets (MNIST digit recognition, SUSY physics data, and simulated Nearest Neighbor Ising Model) as running examples throughout the book to help learners understand what different ML techniques can bring when analyzing the same problems from different perspectives.
The book has a high bias (since written from physics perspective), but low variance since assuming physics background allows authors to write a very focussed narrative that gets to the point, and communicates three-books-worth of information in 100 pages. This is somewhat of a repeat of the general physics-ML-explanations-for-the-win pattern established in Bishop's `Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning`.
The authors are wrong to label this book as useful only to people with a physics background, and in fact it will be useful for everyone who wants to learn modern ML. An estimator with high-bias but high efficiency is always useful.
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For all my hacker news peeps that wants to learn ML and/or DL, you need to drop everything right now, go print this on the office printer, and sit outside with coffee for the next two weeks and read through this entire thing. Turn off the computer and phone. Stop checking HN for two weeks. Trust me, nothing better than this will come around on HN anytime soon.
[1] book pdf => https://arxiv.org/pdf/1803.08823 https://arxiv.org/pdf/1803.08823
[2] jupyter notebooks zip => http://physics.bu.edu/~pankajm/ML-Notebooks/NotebooksforMLReview.zip http://physics.bu.edu/~pankajm/ML-Notebooks/NotebooksforMLRe...
- rerx 8y agoWow, that must be one of the most enticing endorsements I have ever read. I am definitely checking this out soon. (Physicist by training, now working with deep learning)
- Kroniker 8y agoThere are literally dozens of us!
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- stochastic_monk 8y agoIt fits quite well. In particular, many of our formalisms are used (if altered) all over machine learning. Having training as a physicist gives you a wide range of analytical skills. I’ve seen former physicists doing everything from clinical pediatric cancer or bioinformatics to do chip design, financial work, and ML.
- sqrt17 8y agoI cringed a little at "many of our formalisms". The maths of thermodynamics is so useful yet it took and takes substantial effort to pry the useful maths away from the thermodynamics gobbledigook that surrounds it. But it's certainly true that Deep Learning with its combination of mathy underpinnings and poorly understood behaviour is something that fits very well with a physicist's skillset.
- mlevental 8y agoit's 100 pages because it's double column and like 10 point font lol. but still a good concise survey. will indeed peruse on coffee breaks. also kudos on the efficiency pun :)