CS 678 - Advanced Neural Networks and Machine Learning

Syllabus

 

Fall 2009, TuTh 1:35-2:50pm, 3718 HBLL

Professor: Tony Martinez, 3326 TMCB, x6464, http://axon.cs.byu.edu/~martinez

martinez@cs.byu.edu

Office Hours: by appointment

 

Website: http://axon.cs.byu.edu/~martinez/classes/678/

 

Goals:  Continuation in the study of the philosophy, utility, and models of machine learning, such that students are able to propose original research with potential follow-up in a graduate research program.  Expand the creativity of the students in all aspects of computing.

 

Prerequisites:  CS 478 (Introduction to Neural Networks and Machine Learning), Creativity.

 

Text:  Papers available from the class website.   Also, we may use some chapters from Machine Learning by Tom Mitchell.  You are expected to read the assigned literature before and optionally after the scheduled lecture.

 

Grading (~):  Assignments: 10%, Midterm: 30%, Project: 30%, Final: 30%. Grading is on a curve and some amount of subjectivity is allowed for attendance, participation, perceived effort, etc.  If you think, you'll be all right.  The mid-term exam will be in the testing center and final exam will be in class on Thursday, Dec. 17 from 2:30pm-5:30pm.

 

Late assignments:  Assignments are expected on time (beginning of class on due date).  Late papers will be marked off at 5%/school day late.  However, if you have any unusual circumstances (sick, out of town, unique from what all the other students have, etc.), which you inform me of, then I will not take off any late points.  Nothing will be accepted after the last day of class instruction.

 

Topics (To be covered in the following order):

Advanced Backpropagation Concepts (On-line vs. Batch, Higher Order nets, Lazy Learning, Oracle Learning)

Local models (Radial Basis Function, Distance Metrics)

Support Vector Machines

Hopfield Networks

Boltzmann Machines

HMM (with Baum Welch Learning)– with Speech as the example platform

MULTCONS, Hopfield Extensions

Rule Based Learning (Sequential Covering, CN2)

Unsupervised Learning (K-means, Agglomerative, Competitive, SONs, Conceptual Clustering)

Recurrent Neural Networks (Elman Nets, BPTT, RTRL)

 

Next Group of Topics as Time Allows (Based on your requests):

Reinforcement Learning

Feature Selection

Computational Learning Theory

Kalman Filters

Manifold Learning/Dimensionality Reduction

Transfer Learning

 

Topics and Readings Schedule:

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