Top 5 Machine Learning models with pros and cons

There are many machine learning models, but some of the most common ones include:

Linear regression

Linear regression is a simple and widely used statistical method for modelling the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In a linear regression model, the dependent variable is continuous, meaning it can take on any value within a specific range.

In a simple linear regression model, there is only one independent variable. The relationship between the dependent and independent variables is assumed to be linear, following an equation like y=ax+b where a and b are the parameters.

The linear regression model can make predictions about the dependent variable based on known values of the independent variable(s). For example, a linear regression model could be used to predict the price of a house based on its size, the number of bedrooms, location, etc.

Linear regression models can be extended to handle multiple independent variables. They can also be used to model non-linear relationships by transforming the data or using polynomial terms in the model. However, the basic idea behind linear regression remains the same: to model the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.

When you should use Linear regression

When the relationship between the dependent and independent variables is linear: In this case, a linear regression model can accurately model the relationship between the variables.
When the data is normally distributed: Linear regression assumes that the data is normally distributed, so if the data is normally distributed, a linear regression model can be used to map it.
When the dependent variable is continuous: Linear regression is designed to model the relationship between a continuous dependent variable and one or more independent variables. A linear regression model can be used to analyze the data if the dependent variable is continuous.

When you should not use Linear regression

Linear regression has some limitations that should be considered when deciding whether or not to use it. Some situations where linear regression might not be the best choice include:

When the relationship between the dependent and independent variables is non-linear: In this case, a linear regression model would not accurately capture the relationship between the variables.
When there are outliers in the data: Outliers are observations that are significantly different from the other data points and can have a disproportionate influence on the results of a linear regression model. It can lead to overfitting models.
When the data is not normally distributed: Linear regression assumes that the data is normally distributed, meaning that the majority of the data points are clustered around the mean. If the data is not normally distributed, the results of a linear regression model may be less reliable.
When the dependent variable is categorical: Linear regression is designed to model the relationship between a continuous dependent variable and one or more independent variables. If the dependent variable is categorical (e.g. yes/no), a different type of model, such as logistic regression, would be more appropriate.

Logistic regression

Logistic regression is a statistical model used to predict a binary outcome (e.g. yes/no, pass/fail) based on one or more predictor variables. It is a widely used and powerful tool for predicting the probability that an event will occur, given the values of the predictor variables. It can also be used for multiclass model classifications.

Some of the advantages of logistic regression

It can handle multiple predictor variables: Logistic regression can be used to model the relationship between the binary outcome and multiple predictor variables, allowing for more complex predictions.
It can model non-linear relationships: Logistic regression can model non-linear relationships between the predictor variables and the outcome by using transformations or polynomial terms in the model.
It can provide estimates of the probability of the outcome: Logistic regression models can provide estimates of the probability that an event will occur based on the values of the predictor variables. This can be useful for making decisions or comparing the relative importance of different predictor variables.

Some of the disadvantages of logistic regression

It assumes a linear relationship between the logit of the outcome and the predictor variables: Logistic regression assumes that the relationship between the logit of the outcome and the predictor variables is linear, which may not always be the case.
It can be sensitive to extreme values: Logistic regression can be sensitive to extreme values, or outliers, in the data. This can cause the model to fit the data poorly, resulting in inaccurate predictions.
It is not always the most powerful model: In some cases, other types of models, such as decision trees or neural networks, maybe more powerful and accurate than logistic regression.

Logistic regression, like any statistical model, has its strengths and limitations, and it is essential to carefully consider the data and the assumptions of the model when using it.

Decision trees and Random forests

Decision trees and random forests are two closely related machine learning algorithms for classification and regression tasks. Decision trees are a model that makes predictions by creating a tree-like structure, with branches representing different decision rules and leaves representing the predictions. Random forests are ensembles of decision trees, where multiple trees are trained, and their predictions are combined to make a final prediction.

Some of the advantages of decision trees and random forests

They can handle multiple predictor variables: Both decision trees and random forests can be used to model the relationship between a dependent variable and multiple predictor variables, allowing for more complex predictions.
They can model non-linear relationships: Both decision trees and random forests can model non-linear relationships between the predictor variables and the dependent variable by using transformations or polynomial terms in the model.
They are easy to interpret: Decision trees are relatively simple and easy to understand, making them a good choice for explaining the relationship between the predictor and dependent variables.
They are computationally efficient: Both decision trees and random forests are relatively fast to train, making them a good choice for large or complex datasets.

Some of the disadvantages of decision trees and random forests

They can overfit the data: Both decision trees and random forests can overfit the data, meaning they can fit the training data too closely and perform poorly on new or unseen data. This can be mitigated by regularisation techniques or random forests, which are less prone to overfitting.
They may not always be the most suitable model: In some cases, other types of models, such as neural networks or support vector machines, may be more powerful and accurate than decision trees or random forests.

They have their strengths and limitations, and it is important to carefully consider the data and the analysis goals when deciding whether to use them.

Support vector machines (SVMs)

Support vector machines (SVMs) are machine learning algorithms used for classification and regression tasks. SVMs are based on finding the best decision boundary, or hyperplane, between different classes of data. This decision boundary is chosen to maximize the margin, or distance, between the different classes of data.

Some of the advantages of SVMs

They can handle high-dimensional data: SVMs are able to handle high-dimensional data, meaning that they can be used with datasets that have a large number of predictor variables.
They can model non-linear relationships: SVMs can model non-linear relationships between the predictor variables and the dependent variable using kernel functions, which can transform the data into a higher-dimensional space where a linear decision boundary can be found.
They can provide good generalization performance: SVMs are known for their good generalization performance, meaning they can perform well on new or unseen data.

Some of the disadvantages of SVMs

They can be sensitive to the choice of kernel function: The performance of an SVM can depend heavily on the choice of the kernel function, and choosing the wrong kernel function can result in poor performance.
They can be computationally intensive: SVMs can be computationally intensive to train, especially for large or complex datasets.

Neural networks:

Neural networks are complex machine learning algorithms composed of many interconnected processing nodes or neurons. They are inspired by the structure and function of the human brain and can learn and adapt to complex data.

Some of the advantages of neural networks

They can model complex relationships: Neural networks can model complex relationships between the predictor and dependent variables, allowing for more accurate predictions.
They can handle large and complex datasets: Neural networks are able to handle large and complex datasets and are particularly well suited to dealing with high-dimensional data.
They can learn and adapt to new data: Neural networks can learn and adapt to new data, improving their performance over time as they are exposed to more data.

Some of the disadvantages of neural networks

They can be difficult to interpret: Neural networks are complex and opaque, making it difficult to understand how they make predictions.
They can require a lot of computational resources: Neural networks can require a lot of computational resources to train and may not be suitable for use with very large or complex datasets.
They can be difficult to tune: Neural networks have many parameters that can affect their performance, and finding the optimal combination of these parameters can be challenging.