Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning

6

Learning Concepts

Keywords

concept

concept learning

simple concept

multiple concept

example

positive example

negative example

induction

background knowledge

generalization

specialization

partial order of generalization

MSC generalization

version space

conceptual clustering

attribute complex

This chapter will discuss algorithms for learning concepts from examples. Learning concepts is the most basic kind of learning on a computer, so we need to understand it fully. We will first give the definition of a concept and general methods of learning concepts and algorithms. We will then give algorithms for version space and concept clustering.

6.1 Definition of a Concept

(a) Extensional and intensional meanings

Words such as “a triangle,”  “a ...