Machine Learning and AI with Python
Put your data to work through machine learning with Python.
Join Harvard University Instructor Pavlos Protopapas to learn how to use decision trees, the foundational algorithm for your understanding of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
4-5 hours a week
What You'll Learn
It’s time to make a decision: beach or mountains? When choosing where you want to go for vacation, it can be simple. The options may be a or b. From a decision-making standpoint, it’s easy for the brain to process this decision tree. But, what happens when you’re faced with more complex, multifaceted decisions? You might make a comprehensive pro/con list, rank ordering the most important considerations. But, that can take endless amounts of time that you might not have to spare. When parsing through thousands or millions of data points, you and your organization need to tap into a more sophisticated approach.
The solution? Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) through machine learning to enhance your decision-making processes. Machine learning with Python can not only help organize data, but machines can also be taught to analyze and learn from disparate data sets – forming hypotheses, creating predictions, and improving decisions.
In Machine Learning and AI with Python, you will explore the most basic algorithm as a basis for your learning and understanding of machine learning: decision trees. Developing your core skills in machine learning will create the foundation for expanding your knowledge into bagging and random forests, and from there into more complex algorithms like gradient boosting.
Using real-world cases and sample data sets, you will examine processes, chart your expectations, review the results, and measure the effectiveness of the machine’s techniques.
Throughout the course, you will witness the evolution of the machine learning models, incorporating additional data and criteria – testing your predictions and analyzing the results along the way to avoid overtraining your data, mitigating overfitting and preventing biased outcomes.
Put your data to work through machine learning with Python.
Learners must have a minimum baseline of programming knowledge (preferably in Python) and statistics in order to be successful in this course. Python prerequisites can be met with an introductory Python course offered through CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python, and statistics prerequisites can be met via Fat Chance or with Stat110 offered through HarvardX.
The course will be delivered via edX and connect learners around the world. By the end of the course, participants will learn:
- Explore advanced data science challenges through sample data sets, decision trees, random forests, and machine learning models
- Train your model to predict the most effective way to handle a problem
- Examine machine learning results, recognize data bias in machine learning, and avoid underfitting or overfitting data
- Build a foundation for the use of Python libraries in machine learning and artificial intelligence, preparing you for future Python study
- Build on your Python experience, preparing you for a career in advanced data science
Your Instructor
Pavlos Protopapas is the Scientific Program Director of the Institute for Applied Computational Science(IACS) at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He has had a long and distinguished career as a scientist and data science educator, and currently teaches the CS109 course series for basic and advanced data science at Harvard University, as well as the capstone course (industry-sponsored data science projects) for the IACS master’s program at Harvard. Pavlos has a Ph.D in theoretical physics from the University of Pennsylvania and has focused recently on the use of machine learning and AI in astronomy, and computer science. He was Deputy Director of the National Expandable Clusters Program (NSCP) at the University of Pennsylvania, and was instrumental in creating the Initiative in Innovative Computing (IIC) at Harvard. Pavlos has taught multiple courses on machine learning and computational science at Harvard, and at summer schools, and at programs internationally.
Ways to take this course
When you enroll in this course, you will have the option of pursuing a Verified Certificate or Auditing the Course.
A Verified Certificate costs $299 and provides unlimited access to full course materials, activities, tests, and forums. At the end of the course, learners who earn a passing grade can receive a certificate.
Alternatively, learners can Audit the course for free and have access to select course material, activities, tests, and forums. Please note that this track does not offer a certificate for learners who earn a passing grade.