Machine Learning has become a buzzword in this growing world of technology. Even today, there is a number of situations, when we are using Machine learning, or experiencing Machine learning, either knowingly, or unknowingly. Machine learning is spreading its wings moving to more and more areas of work, and is doing a great impact in many terms.
You might have been listening about the increasing possibilities of opportunities in Machine learning, and there is a possibility that many people want to learn machine learning, bring their ideas to life, or have a great career ahead, in this growing world of technology.
If you are feeling confused about how can you get started with learning Machine learning or talking particularly about what are the prerequisites of Machine learning, do not worry at all, since we have got you covered.
In this article, we are going to have a look at what are the prerequisites for learning Machine learning. Once you go through some of the required things, you would be ready to learn Machine learning!
Prerequisites of Machine learning
To keep things clear, we would consider all the things from the scratch. First of all, when you are learning Machine learning, it is usually not assumed that you have any prior knowledge or experience or information related to Machine learning, and all the things are taught from scratch.
However, in order to understand the underlying concepts in a better way, there are some things that you need to be already familiar with. Let’s discuss them now. Here are some of the things that you need to be familiar with, in order to get started with Machine learning.
- Statistics
- Probability
- Calculus(optional, but required for advanced)
- Linear Algebra
- Programming languages.
Getting started
We are considering getting started with some programming language first, and there are other things as well, like statistics, probability, calculus, etc. But the thing is that you can get started by learning some programming language, and within a few months, you can be good at doing many programs. So, at this stage, when you are able to do many programs, you would be comfortable moving further.
If you are completely new to programming, and you want to get started with learning some programming language that takes you to Machine learning, it is recommended that you should get started with learning Python. Python is incredibly easy, and anyone can get started learning to program using Python, and when you move further, it can take you to Machine learning.
Though it is not necessary that you must start with Python. You can start by learning any other programming language since you just need to develop the mindset, and the thinking when you are doing some programs. But, when you would be on your way to learning Machine learning, using Python can be very comfortable. So, it is recommended if you are just starting, you can get started with Python.
Statistics
Machine learning is much about playing with the data, making predictions, or making decisions. With statistics, you can get to learn about some concepts, which would help you to get some outcomes from the data. There are descriptive statistics, which are used to transform raw data into useful information. On the other hand, inferential statistics can be used to get important information from a sample of data, instead of a complete dataset.
Here, you need to become familiar with some concepts, which are as follows –
- Mean
- Median
- Outliers
- Standard deviation
- Histogram
etc.
Probability
This is a word that we usually use in our normal life, but this is something that you got to learn, in order to be better at machine learning. With probability, we simply mean that we can predict the likelihood of the occurrence of some event. This is like – “What is the probability that this event can happen”. Probability works like a foundation in Machine learning, and if you have good knowledge about probability, you would be ahead.
Calculus
If you are from an Engineering background, you might have come across this concept in your syllabus, and now forgotten. But, it plays a very important role in Machine learning, contributing to many machine learning algorithms. So, if you want to move to advance concepts of Machine learning in an easy way, you might need to learn about Calculus. Actually, you just need to have an understanding of how things are working.
Linear Algebra
Having a good understanding of Linear Algebra is also important, and a great advantage, when it comes to Machine learning. You should be familiar with some of the concepts like –
- Vectors
- Matrices
- Linear Transformations
- Tensors
and some other concepts.
It is important to have a good understanding of these concepts. It helps in transformation and other operations on the dataset.
Programming languages
Well, one obvious question can be – “How many programming languages do I need to learn, in order to get going with Machine learning?” Well, see, if you are an absolute beginner, it is recommended to get started with learning Python programming language. It is not necessary though, and you can learn other programming languages like R, MATLAB, or C++, and still get into Machine learning, but the thing is that Python is comparatively very easy to learn, and there are many packages, libraries, which help us in Machine learning.
So, in short, if you are already familiar with some programming languages, you can consider learning Python, which won’t take much time, and even if you are new to programming, you can get started with learning Python.
When you would learn Python, you have to focus on the following concepts –
- Python foundation(user input, data types, operators, loops, data structures etc)
- NumPy
- Pandas
- scikit-learn
- Matplotlib
- seaborn
- Tensorflow
Also, there are many other things, that you would learn as you move further, like OpenCV, PyTorch, etc. So, you should understand these concepts with greater depth.
Summary
Machine learning is a very interesting, and in-demand field, and many of you might want to get into Machine learning and build a career in it. Though it may feel challenging with many things to do, let me tell you that the start is very difficult. If you are feeling confused about how to start, you can get started with learning Python, and first get comfortable with some concepts, and solve many programs. This will get you comfortable with the concepts, and it will be easy for you to get going with further concepts.
If you want to further read about what is Machine learning, about Python, you can explore these concepts as well.
FAQs related to Prerequisites for Machine Learning
Q: Does Machine learning require coding?
Ans: Yes, if you are willing to learn Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, you should have some knowledge of some programming language(probably Python).
Q: Should I learn Python before Machine learning?
Ans: If you want to get into Machine learning, you should have at least a foundational knowledge of Python programming language. Actually, Python is very easy to learn, and in fact, anyone can get started with learning Python.
Q: Which language is best for Machine learning?
Ans: There are many languages, learning which, you can go for machine learning, but Python is considered one of the best choices of languages for Machine learning, and there are many reasons for this.
Q: Is Machine learning hard?
Ans: Machine learning is not that hard to learn, provided that you are power packed with some of the prerequisites. After you are familiar with Python, and other things, like probability, statistics, etc. You should be comfortable learning Machine learning.
