1What is a decision tree algorithm?
A supervised learning method that splits the dataset on its predictor variables based on different conditions.
2What tasks are decision trees used for?
They are used for both classification (discrete) and regression (continuous) tasks.
3What are the two main entities of a decision tree?
Decision nodes (where the data is split) and leaves (the final outcomes).
4What is a classification decision tree?
A type of decision tree that uses discrete predictor variables to answer simple discrete questions with categorical or discrete outcomes.
5What is a regression decision tree?
A type of decision tree that uses continuous predictor variables and produces numerical or continuous outcomes.
6What is the Gini method used for in decision trees?
It is used to generate binary splits on the attributes (predictor variables) of the dataset.
7What is entropy in decision trees?
A measure of disorder or uncertainty in the data, used to calculate how much information is gained from a question.
8What is information gain?
The reduction in uncertainty when a question is asked, helping predict the target variable better.
9What is Shannon Entropy?
A measure that represents the amount of uncertainty or randomness in data, denoted as H(S).
10What happens when the entropy is 1.0?
There is high uncertainty, meaning the outcome is unpredictable, like when tossing a fair coin.
11What happens when the entropy is 0?
There is high certainty, meaning the outcome is completely predictable, like tossing a coin with heads on both sides.
12What is the first step in creating a decision tree?
Create the root node for the tree.
13When does a decision tree return a positive leaf node?
When all cases are positive.
14What is the stopping condition for a decision tree?
When the tree has all leaf nodes or runs out of attributes.
15What is a random forest?
A technique to avoid overfitting by generating multiple decision trees and averaging their outputs.
16What is an example of decision tree use?
Making decisions about whether to approve or reject a loan application.