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There are 7 modules in this course
This course introduces you to one of the main types of Machine Learning: Unsupervised Learning. You will learn how to find insights from data sets that do not have a target or labeled variable. You will learn several clustering and dimension reduction algorithms for unsupervised learning as well as how to select the algorithm that best suits your data. The hands-on section of this course focuses on using best practices for unsupervised learning.
By the end of this course you should be able to:
Explain the kinds of problems suitable for Unsupervised Learning approaches
Explain the curse of dimensionality, and how it makes clustering difficult with many features
Describe and use common clustering and dimensionality-reduction algorithms
Try clustering points where appropriate, compare the performance of per-cluster models
Understand metrics relevant for characterizing clusters
Who should take this course?
This course targets aspiring data scientists interested in acquiring hands-on experience with Unsupervised Machine Learning techniques in a business setting.
What skills should you have?
To make the most out of this course, you should have familiarity with programming on a Python development environment, as well as fundamental understanding of Data Cleaning, Exploratory Data Analysis, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, and Statistics.
This module introduces Unsupervised Learning and its applications. One of the most common uses of Unsupervised Learning is clustering observations using k-means. In this module, you become familiar with the theory behind this algorithm, and put it in practice in a demonstration.
What's included
11 videos2 readings3 assignments3 app items
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 62 minutes
Course Introduction•1 minute
Introduction to Unsupervised Learning: Overview•8 minutes
Introduction to Unsupervised Learning: Use Cases of Clustering•5 minutes
Introduction to Clustering•1 minute
K-Means •4 minutes
K-Means Initialization •4 minutes
Selecting the Right Number of Clusters in K-Means •5 minutes
Elbow method and Applying K-means•5 minutes
(Optional) K Means Notebook - Part 1•9 minutes
K Means Notebook - Part 2•7 minutes
(Optional) K Means Notebook - Part 3•13 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Mixture of Gaussians •10 minutes
Summary•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 40 minutes
Ungraded: Introduction to Unsupervised Learning•10 minutes
Ungraded: K Means Clustering•10 minutes
Graded: Module 1 Quiz•20 minutes
3 app items•Total 105 minutes
K Means Demo (Activity)•30 minutes
Practice Lab: K Means Clustering Lab•30 minutes
Practice Lab: Mixture of Gaussians Lab•45 minutes
Distance Metrics & Computational Hurdles
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments2 app items
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 57 minutes
Distance Metrics: Euclidean and Manhattan Distance•4 minutes
Distance Metrics: Cosine and Jaccard Distance •6 minutes
Curse of Dimensionality Notebook - Part 1•12 minutes
Curse of Dimensionality Notebook - Part 2•12 minutes
Curse of Dimensionality Notebook - Part 3•12 minutes
Curse of Dimensionality Notebook - Part 4•10 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Summary•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 30 minutes
Ungraded: Distance Metrics•10 minutes
Graded: Module 2 Quiz•20 minutes
2 app items•Total 90 minutes
Demo lab: Curse of Dimensionality•45 minutes
Practice Lab: Distance Metrics Lab•45 minutes
Selecting a Clustering Algorithm
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you become familiar with some of the computational hurdles around clustering algorithms, and how different clustering implementations try to overcome them. After a brief recapitulation of common clustering algorithms, you will learn how to compare them and select the clustering technique that best suits your data.
This module introduces dimensionality reduction and Principal Component Analysis, which are powerful techniques for big data, imaging, and pre-processing data.
What's included
5 videos1 reading2 assignments4 app items
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 46 minutes
Dimensionality Reduction: Overview•5 minutes
Dimensionality Reduction: Principal Component Analysis•9 minutes
(Optional) Dimensionality Reduction Notebook - Part 1•11 minutes
Dimensionality Reduction Notebook - Part 2•13 minutes
Practice lab: Principal Component Analysis•45 minutes
Singular Value Decomposition•45 minutes
Nonlinear and Distance-Based Dimensionality Reduction
Module 5•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module introduces dimensionality reduction techniques like Kernal Principal Component Analysis and multidimensional scaling. These methods are more powerful than Principal Component Analysis in many applications.
What's included
2 videos1 reading2 assignments3 app items
Show info about module content
2 videos•Total 18 minutes
Kernel Principal Component Analysis and Multidimensional Scaling•6 minutes
Dimensionality Reduction Notebook - Part 3•11 minutes
Practice lab: Non-Negative Matrix Factorization•60 minutes
Final Project
Module 7•1 hour to complete
Module details
You now have all the necessary tools to demonstrate your unsupervised learning skills in your final project. Build and compare different models and clearly document each step along with the key insights and findings.
What's included
2 readings1 peer review1 app item1 plugin
Show info about module content
2 readings•Total 12 minutes
Final Project Overview•10 minutes
Thanks from the Course Team•2 minutes
1 peer review•Total 15 minutes
Option 2: Peer Graded - Final Project Submission and Evaluation•15 minutes
1 app item•Total 20 minutes
Option 1: AI Graded - Final Project: Submission and Evaluation•20 minutes
1 plugin•Total 2 minutes
Reading: Final Submission Guidelines and Deliverables•2 minutes
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4.7
365 reviews
5 stars
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4 stars
15.84%
3 stars
2.18%
2 stars
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Showing 3 of 365
A
AD
5·
Reviewed on Apr 18, 2021
It is a beautifully crafted course that looks at various clustering algorithms. More importantly, show the pros and cons of each algorithm/technique based on different patterns.
V
VA
5·
Reviewed on Jul 5, 2021
Great course. Maybe there is one instance of wrong answer in one of the quizzes. Everything elese is perfect. Thanks IBM !
M
MB
5·
Reviewed on Apr 22, 2021
A high quality course with lots of practical techniques
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