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Aprende Principal Component Analysis as a Spectral Method | Spectral Ideas in Machine Learning
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Spectral Methods in Machine Learning

bookPrincipal Component Analysis as a Spectral Method

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a widely used technique in machine learning for reducing the dimensionality of data while retaining as much variability as possible. At its core, PCA seeks directions in the data along which the variance is maximized. These directions are determined by the eigenvectors of the data's covariance matrix, a concept you have already encountered in earlier chapters. By projecting high-dimensional data onto a smaller set of these principal directions, you can simplify your dataset, making it easier to visualize, analyze, and process, all while preserving the most important structure.

Intuitive explanation: PCA as data projection
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Imagine a cloud of data points in a high-dimensional space. PCA finds the axes (directions) along which this cloud stretches out the most. By projecting the data onto these axes, you capture the most significant patterns and can often describe the data with fewer dimensions.

Formalization: PCA as an eigenvalue problem
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Formally, PCA computes the covariance matrix of the data, which captures how the features vary together. The principal components are found by solving the eigenvalue problem for this covariance matrix. The eigenvectors correspond to the directions of maximal variance, while the eigenvalues tell you how much variance is captured along each direction.

Note
Note

The principal components in PCA are the eigenvectors of the data's covariance matrix. This means the process of finding principal components is directly tied to the spectral decomposition of this matrix.

question mark

Why does PCA rely on spectral decomposition of the covariance matrix rather than on the original data matrix?

Select all correct answers

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¿Cómo podemos mejorarlo?

¡Gracias por tus comentarios!

Sección 3. Capítulo 1

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bookPrincipal Component Analysis as a Spectral Method

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Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a widely used technique in machine learning for reducing the dimensionality of data while retaining as much variability as possible. At its core, PCA seeks directions in the data along which the variance is maximized. These directions are determined by the eigenvectors of the data's covariance matrix, a concept you have already encountered in earlier chapters. By projecting high-dimensional data onto a smaller set of these principal directions, you can simplify your dataset, making it easier to visualize, analyze, and process, all while preserving the most important structure.

Intuitive explanation: PCA as data projection
expand arrow

Imagine a cloud of data points in a high-dimensional space. PCA finds the axes (directions) along which this cloud stretches out the most. By projecting the data onto these axes, you capture the most significant patterns and can often describe the data with fewer dimensions.

Formalization: PCA as an eigenvalue problem
expand arrow

Formally, PCA computes the covariance matrix of the data, which captures how the features vary together. The principal components are found by solving the eigenvalue problem for this covariance matrix. The eigenvectors correspond to the directions of maximal variance, while the eigenvalues tell you how much variance is captured along each direction.

Note
Note

The principal components in PCA are the eigenvectors of the data's covariance matrix. This means the process of finding principal components is directly tied to the spectral decomposition of this matrix.

question mark

Why does PCA rely on spectral decomposition of the covariance matrix rather than on the original data matrix?

Select all correct answers

¿Todo estuvo claro?

¿Cómo podemos mejorarlo?

¡Gracias por tus comentarios!

Sección 3. Capítulo 1
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