Woldia University

Institute of Technology
School of Computing
Software Engineering Program
Program Software Engineering, Regular
Course Code SEng3092
Course Title: Fundamentals of Machine Learning
Degree Program BSc. in Software Engineering
Module Name/ No. AI, Machine Learning and Big Data/ 09
Course Instructor Prince M Thomas
ECTS (Cr. Hrs.) 5 (3)
Contact Hours Lecture Tutorial Lab/Practical Home Study Total
(per week) 2 3
Target Group: 3rd year
Year /Semester Year: III, Semester: II
Pre-requisites SEng2022

Course Category Compulsory

Course Description Machine learning techniques enable us to automatically extract features
from data so as to solve predictive tasks, such as speech recognition, object
recognition, machine translation, question-answering, anomaly detection,
medical diagnosis and prognosis, automatic algorithm configuration,
personalization, robot control, time series forecasting, and much more.
Learning systems adapt so that they can solve new tasks, related to
previously encountered tasks, more efficiently. This course will introduce
the field of Machine Learning, in particular focusing on the core concepts
of supervised and unsupervised learning. In supervised learning we will
discuss algorithms which are trained on input data labelled with a desired
output, for instance an image of a face and the name of the person whose
face it is, and learn a function mapping from the input to the output.
Unsupervised learning aims to discover latent structure in an input signal
where no output labels are available, an example of which is grouping
web-pages based on the topics they discuss. Students will learn the
algorithms which underpin many popular Machine Learning techniques, as
well as developing an understanding of the theoretical relationships
between these algorithms. The practical‘s will concern the application of
machine learning to a range of real-world problems.

Course Objective The course aims to provide an introduction to the basic principles,
techniques, and applications of Machine Learning. Programming
assignments are used to help clarify basic concepts. The course covers the
principles, design and implementation of learning programs that improve
their performance on some set of tasks with experience. Upon successful
completion of the course, students will have a broad understanding of
machine learning algorithms and their use in data-driven knowledge
discovery and program synthesis. Students will have designed and
implemented several machine learning algorithms in Python. Students will
also be able to identify, formulate and solve machine learning problems
that arise in practical applications.
Learning Outcomes The program provides a knowledge and understanding of the following:
● Be able to formulate machine learning problems corresponding to
different applications.
● Understand a range of machine learning algorithms along with their
strengths and weaknesses.
● Understand the basic theory underlying machine learning.
● Be able to apply machine learning algorithms to solve problems of
moderate complexity.
● Apply machine learning algorithm for classification and problems in
health-related problem domains like medicine, genetics, medical diagnosis.
Course Outline Chapter 1: Introduction to Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- What is Artificial Intelligence?
- Relationship between AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science
What is Machine Learning?
- Definition and Key Concepts (Features, Labels, Models, and
Predictions)
- Machine Learning Pipeline (Data Collection, Preprocessing,
Model Training)
Machine Learning Problems and Applications
- Regression, Classification Problems
- Applications in Healthcare, Agriculture, Finance, and Robotics
Types of Machine Learning
- Supervised Learning
- Unsupervised Learning
- Reinforcement Learning

Chapter 2: Supervised Machine Learning: Linear Models and

Fundamentals
Linear Regression
- Simple Linear Regression and Multiple Linear Regression
- Cost Function (Mean Squared Error)
- Gradient Descent for Linear Regression
Logistic Regression (Linear Classification)
- Sigmoid Function and Decision Boundaries
- Binary Classification vs. Multi-class Classification
Gradient Descent Algorithm
- Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) vs. Batch Gradient Descent
- Learning Rate and Convergence Issues
Overfitting and Underfitting
- Bias-Variance Trade-off
- Cross-Validation Techniques
Regularization Techniques (L1, L2)
- Lasso and Ridge Regression
- High Dimensional Data
- Curse of Dimensionality and Feature Selection
Multivariate Methods
- Covariance Matrix
- Linear Models for Multivariate Regression
Parametric vs. Non-parametric Methods
- Differences, Examples, and Use Cases
 Chapter 3: Supervised Learning: Nonlinear Models
K-Nearest Neighbors (K-NN)
- Distance Metrics (Euclidean, Manhattan)
- K-Value Selection and Cross-Validation
Neural Networks and Multilayer Perceptrons (MLPs)
- Structure of Neural Networks (Input, Hidden, and Output Layers)
- Activation Functions (ReLU, Sigmoid, Softmax)
- Backpropagation and Gradient Descent in Neural Networks
Decision Trees
- Splitting Criteria: Gini Index, Entropy, and Information Gain
- Overfitting in Decision Trees and Pruning
Random Forests (Introduction to Ensembles)
- Bagging and Random Subspace Sampling
Boosting Techniques (e.g., AdaBoost)
- Concept of Weak Learners
- Boosting Algorithms: AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting
Stacking and Voting Methods
- Model Combination Techniques
- Hard vs. Soft Voting

Chapter 4: Unsupervised Learning and Graphical Models

Clustering Methods
- K-Means Clustering: Centroid Calculation and Convergence
- Hierarchical Clustering: Agglomerative and Divisive Methods
Dimensionality Reduction
- Principal Component Analysis (PCA): Eigenvectors and
Eigenvalues
- Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA)
Frequent Pattern Mining
- Apriori Algorithm and Association Rules
- Applications in Market Basket Analysis
Graphical Models
- Bayesian Networks
- Markov Networks
Hidden Markov Models (HMMs)
- States, Transitions, and Observations
- Forward Algorithm and Viterbi Algorithm
- Applications in Speech Recognition and NLP

Chapter 5: Reinforcement Learning

Introduction to Reinforcement Learning
- Definitions: Agent, Environment, Action, Reward, and Policy
- Exploration vs. Exploitation
Reinforcement Learning Problem Setup
- Markov Decision Processes (MDPs)
- Value Function, Policy Function, and Bellman Equation
Q-Learning Algorithm
- Q-Table and Update Rule
- Temporal Difference Learning

Assessment Mid Exam = 30%

Assignment(Individual) = 10%
Project (Group) = 20%
 Final Exam = 40%
Reference: Text Books
 Kevin P. Murphy (2012): Machine Learning, A Probabilistic
Approach, MIT Press.
 Christopher M. Bishop (2006): Pattern Recognition and Machine
Learning.
Other References:
 Han J. and Kamber M. (2006): Data Mining: Concepts and
Techniques, Second Edition
 Python and R codes:
http://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2015/09/full-cheatsheet-
machine-learni ng-algorithms/
 Introductory Primer to Machine Learning:
http://www.toptal.com/machine-learning/machine-learning-
theory-an-introductory-primer