Data Mining Methods

Overview

This course covers the core techniques used in data mining, including frequent pattern analysis, classification, clustering, outlier analysis, as well as mining complex data and research frontiers in the data mining field. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s MS in Data Science or MS in Computer Science degrees offered on the Coursera platform. These fully accredited graduate degrees offer targeted courses, short 8-week sessions, and pay-as-you-go tuition. Admission is based on performance in three preliminary courses, not academic history. CU degrees on Coursera are ideal for recent graduates or working professionals. Learn more: MS in Data Science: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/master-of-science-data-science-boulder MS in Computer Science: https://coursera.org/degrees/ms-computer-science-boulder Course logo image courtesy of Lachlan Cormie, available here on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/jbJp18srifE

Syllabus

Frequent Pattern Analysis

This week starts with an overview of this course, Data Mining Methods, then focuses on frequent pattern analysis, including the Apriori algorithm and FP-growth algorithm for frequent itemset mining, as well as association rules and correlation analysis.

Classification

This week introduces supervised learning, classification, prediction, and covers several core classification methods including decision tree induction, Bayesian classification, support vector machines, neural networks, and ensemble methods. It also discusses classification model evaluation and comparison.

Clustering

This week introduces you to unsupervised learning, clustering, and covers several core clustering methods including partitioning, hierarchical, grid-based, density-based, and probabilistic clustering. Advanced topics for high-dimensional clustering, bi-clustering, graph clustering, and constraint-based clustering are also discussed.

Outlier Analysis

This week discusses three different types of outliers (global, contextual, and collective) and how different methods may be used to identify and analyze such outliers. It also covers some advanced methods for mining complex data, as well as the research frontiers of the data mining field.