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Covering Algorithm

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Encyclopedia of Machine Learning and Data Mining
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Synonyms

Separate-and-conquer learning

Method

Most covering algorithms operate in a concept learning framework, i.e., they assume a set of positive and negative training examples. Adaptations to the multi-class case are typically performed via class binarization, learning different rule sets for binary problems. Some algorithms, most notably CN2 (Clark and Niblett 1989; Clark and Boswell 1991), learn multi-class rules directly by optimizing overall possible classes in the head of the rule. In this case, the resulting theory is interpreted as a decision list. In the following, we will assume a two-class problem with a positive and a negative class.

The Covering algorithm starts with an empty theory. If there are any positive examples in the training set, it calls the subroutine FindBestRulefor learning a single rule that will cover a subset of the positive examples (and possibly some negative examples as well). All covered examples are then separated from the training set, the learned...

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Recommended Reading

  • Clark P, Boswell R (1991) Rule induction with CN2: some recent improvements. In: Proceedings of the 5th European working session on learning (EWSL-91), Porto. Springer, pp 151–163

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  • Clark P, Niblett T (1989) The CN2 induction algorithm. Mach Learn 3(4):261–283

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  • Cohen WW (1995) Fast effective rule induction. In: Prieditis A, Russell S (eds) Proceedings of the 12th international conference on machine learning (ML-95), Lake Tahoe. Morgan Kaufmann, pp 115–123

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  • Fürnkranz J (1999) Separate-and-conquer rule learning. Artif Intell Rev 13(1):3–54. http://www.ofai.at/cgi-bin/tr-online?number+96-25

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Correspondence to Johannes Fürnkranz .

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Fürnkranz, J. (2017). Covering Algorithm. In: Sammut, C., Webb, G.I. (eds) Encyclopedia of Machine Learning and Data Mining. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7687-1_275

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