ISYE 6501 Final Questions and Answers
Latest Update
Factor Based Models Correct Answer-classification, clustering, regression. Implicitly assumed that we
have a lot of factors in the final model
Why limit number of f
...
ISYE 6501 Final Questions and Answers
Latest Update
Factor Based Models Correct Answer-classification, clustering, regression. Implicitly assumed that we
have a lot of factors in the final model
Why limit number of factors in a model? 2 reasons Correct Answer-overfitting: when # of factors is close
to or larger than # of data points. Model may fit too closely to random effects
simplicity: simple models are usually better
Classical variable selection approaches Correct Answer-1. Forward selection
2. Backwards elimination
3. Stepwise regression
greedy algorithms
Backward elimination Correct Answer-variable selection; classical
Opposite of forward selection. Start with model with all factors, at each step find worst factor and
remove from model. Continue until no more to add, # of factor threshold is satisfied. Remove factors at
the end that were not good enough
Forward selection Correct Answer-variable selection; classical
Start with model with no factors, at each step find best new factor to add. Continue until none bad
enough to remove, # of factor threshold is satisfied. Remove factors at the end that were not good
enough
Stepwise regression Correct Answer-variable selection; classical
Combination of forward selection and backwards elimination. Start with all or no factors. Each step
remove/add a factor. As it continues, after adding in new factor we eliminate right away any factors that
may be good. Helps model adjust when new factors are added, goodness values changeWays of determining if factors are good enough in variable selection Correct Answer-p-value, Rsquared,
AIC, BIC
Greedy algorithm Correct Answer-At each step, it does the one thing that looks best
without taking future options into consideration. Good for initial analysis
1. Forward selection
2. Backwards elimination
3. Stepwise regression
Global variable selection approaches Correct Answer-1. LASSO
2. Elastic Net
Slower, but tend to give better predictive models
LASSO Correct Answer-variable selection; global
- SCALE the date (as with any constrained sum of coefficients)
- add a constraint to the standard regression equation
- minimize sum of squared errors
- T = limit or "budget" on how large the sum of squared errors can get. Budget will be used on most
important coefficients
- Method for limiting the number of variables in a model by limiting the sum of all coefficients' absolute
values. Can be very helpful when number of data points is less than number of factors.
Elastic Net Correct Answer-variable selection; global
- SCALE the date (as with any constrained sum of coefficients)
- T = limit or "budget" on how large the sum of squared errors can get. Budget will be used on most
important coefficients
- Combination of lasso and ridge regression.
- Variable selection benefits of LASSO
- Predictive benefits of ridge regressionRidge Regression Correct Answer-- Method of regularization by limiting the sum of the squares of the
coefficients. Will reduce the magnitude of coefficients, not the number of variables chosen.
- The quadratic term in ridge regression
tends to shrink the coefficient values i.e Whatever the basic regression model coefficients would be,
the quadratic constraint pushes them toward zero
or regularizes them.
Design of Experiments (DOE) Correct Answer-How can we still have a representative sample of each
combination of factors, while only surveying 600 people?
How to determine which of the several factors are most
important to predicting someone's answers?
comparison to measure difference
control for other factors and effects
blocking factors that account for the variation between factors (red sports car vs red minivan example)
A/B testing Correct Answer-Whenever we want to choose between 2 alternatives.
As long as the following 3 things are true:
1st, we need to be able to collect a lot of data quickly enough to get an answer in time to use it.
2nd, the data we collect has to be from a representative sample of the whole
3rd, the amount of data we collect has to be small compared to the total population we want to use the
answer on.
Before modeling and before collecting data
(Full) Factorial Design Correct Answer-Test every combination of variables in an experiment to find each
one's effect, and interaction effects on the outcome.
Fractional Factorial Design Correct Answer-A subset of combinations to test - selected combinations give
same result as full factorial design i.e a balanced design
Before modeling and before collecting dataWhat approach to take if it is believed the factors we can change are independent? (Factorial design)
Correct Answer-Test a subset of combinations and use regression to estimate the effect of each choice
Before modeling and before collecting data
Exploration vs. Exploitation Correct Answer-Exploration - focusing on getting more information
Exploitation - getting immediate value
Multi-Armed Bandit Problem Correct Answer-Exploration/Exploitation principle
Several slot machines, not known which has the highest payout, so must test all (K) alternatives
1st test = equal probability
2nd test = update probabilities based off of 1st test (we can also change: # of tests, how we update
probabilities, change how we assign new tests)
What needs to be the case when matching data to a probability distribution to gain insight based on
how the distribution is derived? Correct Answer-The only information we have about a data point is the
response, or when it would be hard to collect and analyze additional information
What is the Bernoulli distribution is useful to model? Correct Answer-A single event. i.e flipping a coin,
will it rain or not?, will I get this job offer or not?
Only really useful when you put many of them together (flip a coin 10,000 times)
Describe a Bernoulli distribution in terms of a coin toss test Correct Answer-Probability (p) that a single
coin flip comes up heads and probability (1-p) that the coin comes up tails
Define a Binomial distribution Correct Answer-The probability of getting x yes answers out of n
independent Bernoulli trials, each with the probability p
When is the normal distribution useful as an estimate for the Binomial distribution? Correct AnswerWhen n is large, and for modeling errors (predictive models)What is the question to describe a Geometric distribution? Correct Answer-How many (Bernoulli) trials
are needed before we get an answer of a certain type?
What is the Poisson distribution good at modeling? Correct Answer-Random arrivals of people to lines,
queues etc
- The function gives the probability that x people do arrive given the average arrival rate (lambda)
- assumes arrivals are independent, and identically distributed (i.i.d)
What is the Exponential distribution good at modeling? Correct Answer-The time between arrivals or
trials (inter-arrival time)
How are the Poisson and Exponential distributions related? Correct Answer-If arrivals are Poisson, with
arrival rate lambda, then the time between arrivals (inter-arrival time) follows the exponential
distribution (1/lambda = inter-arrival)
The same is true if inter-arrival time is exponential
When k = 1, the Weibull is what? Correct Answer-An Exponential distribution.
Whether it's a failure rate that is constant (Weibull) or an inter-arrival rate (Exponential)
What is the Weibull distribution useful to model? Correct Answer-The amount of time it takes for
something to fail, specifically the time between failures.
Describe a Q-Q plot Correct Answer-Whatever variations in the data there might be and
even if the number of data points in two sets is very different, 2 similar distributions should have about
the same value at each quantile. Could also use to match to a probability distribution (just calculate
theoretical values of quantiles following the distro)
When k < 1, the Weibull is good for modeling what? Correct Answer-When failure rate decreases with
time.
Worst things fails firstWhat 2 probability distributions are memoryless? Correct Answer-Poisson and Exponential
When k > 1, the Weibull is good for modeling what? Correct Answer-When failure rate increases with
time
[Show More]