ISYE Midterm 2 Notes:
Week 8 Variable Selection:
- Important to limit the number of factors in the model for 2 reasons:
o Overfitting – When the number of factors is close to or larger than the number of data
points
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ISYE Midterm 2 Notes:
Week 8 Variable Selection:
- Important to limit the number of factors in the model for 2 reasons:
o Overfitting – When the number of factors is close to or larger than the number of data
points the model might fit too closely to random effects
o Simplicity – on aggregate simple models are better than complex ones. Using less factors
means that less data is required and the is a smaller chance of including insignificant
factors. Interpretability is also crucial. Some factors are even illegal to use such as race
and gender in addition to factors that are also predictive of these attributes.
- Forward Selection: A method of variable selection method where we start with a model
containing no factors. At each step individual step, we find the best new factor to add to the
model via iteration. When there is no longer another factor that meets quality thresholds, or we
reach a max number of factors then we stop iterating and arrive at the final model.
- Backward Elimination: This process is the opposite of forward selection as we start with a full
model where at each step, we remove insignificant variables until we arrive at a satisfying
model.
- Stepwise Regression: Combination of both forward selection and backward elimination. There
are two types backwards which starts with a full model or forward which starts with the null
model. Then implements a hybrid approach of the two adding and selecting variables iteratively
to return a satisfying model.
- Each of the stepwise approaches are known as greedy algorithms as each decision is made at
each step with only enough consideration for the immediate result of the step and not the global
state or future steps. At each step takes the one thing that looks like the immediate best
decision. Future options are not considered.
- Lasso Approach: A more modern optimized approach to variable selection using global
optimization. Add a constraint to the standard regression equation which sets a budget on the
sum of the models’ coefficients. This constraint in effect limits the size of coefficients thus
making our model a lot more of this coefficient size budget to the most important coefficients /
variables. All non-important variables will be allotted zero in the coefficient budget which thus
leaves them out of the new selection. Since we are implementing a global coefficient budget it is
important that we use scaled data as the budget needs to treat the scale of variables the same
otherwise magnitude of variables would impact the models budget allotment.
o Min ∑ni=1 (yi – (a0 + a1x1i + a2x2i + … + aixji))2
o S.t. ∑ji=1 |ai| ≤ T
- The lasso approach requires the tuning parameter T of the model to decide the size and quality
of variables.
- Elastic regression: takes the general same approach as lasso regression however, instead of just
constraining just the absolute value of the coefficients, we constrain a combination of the
absolute values of the coefficients and their squares. This is the hybrid of ridge and lasso
regression which brings with it the advantages of both as well as the bias disadvantages of both.
o Min ∑ni=1 (yi – (a0 + a1x1i + a2x2i + … + aixji))
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