Skip to main content

Machine Unlearning #2 (Regression)

Machine Unlearning is a series broken up into tiny, one-minute readable pieces to humor our ever-shortening attention span. Sharing the links to every single piece right below:


Regression is a popular machine learning technique used to predict target data based on a set of features. In classification, we train the system to assign distinctive labels to the object (Orange or Bananas in our previous example). Regression differs in the sense that here we are dealing with continuous variables.


Suppose that you have twenty thousand rupees with you and are planning to buy a new phone. You open up an e-commerce site and search for phones. A hundred results appear. You see names like Redmi, Oppo, Vivo, Realme, Asus, Nokia, and so on, all in your target range of ten thousand to twenty thousand. You are clearly confused. Therefore, you decide to have a deeper comparison.


You start plotting the prices of each phone and start noting down the features offered. As you watch closely, you realize that some features (like support for 4g and dual sim support) are offered by most of the phones while the presence or absence of some features affects the price. Models with additional features like full HD display and quad camera are priced above fifteen thousand while the others are at the lower end of the price range. Then you do a trade-off and decide on the phone that suits you best.


Now let us look at how we use similar plotting of continuous values to predict certain aspects of people. One of the favorite target groups for such regression analysis in our daily lives is, unfortunately, women. The character of a girl or a woman is often predicted by the time at which she goes out in the public.


Let us talk about our favorite random person, X. X is a college-going girl for now. If she is back home or hostel by six in the evening, she is supposed to be well mannered. If she stays out later than six or (god forbid) six-thirty, something is not right! For working women, we have benevolently pushed the boundaries to seven. Don’t even ask me about eight or later. When the brutal and horrific news of Nirbhaya came out several years ago, some people around me were wondering why she was out at that hour of the day. I could not agree with their line of thought at all. However, the prime convict Mukesh Singh had the same questions. Frankly, I do not think he is the sort of person you wanna hold up as your role model.


Timings are only one of the features employed to predict the character. Another common feature is the length of her skirt, with knees being a major benchmark. Another feature that holds interest is the length of your hair. It is interesting because this feature works in contrasting ways for men and women. The longer, the better for women. The shorter, the better for men.


How regressive, right?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chennai Tidbits

‘2/14, Salvation Army Guest House, Doveton St, Chennai’  this address followed by a ten digit phone number was all that I had of Mr. Nageshwar Rao, who was to become my roommate in my new 'home' that Chennai was. Vipin Das is my name, an employee of All India Radio, and I had been transferred from New Delhi to Chennai only a few days ago. So there I was, just outside the Chennai Central, drained and haggard after the grueling train journey that gifted me two sleepless nights. I approached an auto-rickshaw with baggage in my hands, and showed him the address I had. He asked me to get in, and I was traveling through the South Indian metro, a first time in my life. It was only six in the morning, and the city was just waking up. Some young professionals, probably long distance commuters, security guards, newspaper boys on cycle, trucks and light traffic were all I could see on road. I took out that card and dialed Mr. Rao. No response. Maybe he was still sleeping. After all, it

Oh my God!

Dear Jesus, How are you, my friend?  Received the letter you sent me the other day. Well, how are things down there? I hope everything is okay, though I’m quite sure it is not a walk on the cake. Do not worry friend, the case is not much different here. Apparently people have become more demanding of late. It is really tiring to constantly hear their persistent requests, demanding one thing or another. No matter how much they already have, they simply need something more. Of course, the demand ranges from health, wealth, fame, to more materialistic ones like physical looks, good looking partners, cars, and houses, so on and on. It is always good to dream of a better life. But, what they forget often are that dreaming and praying for their goals is not just enough. When would they realize that they need to wake up and work for it, too? Hadn’t I told you about that college kid who did not believe in us? Right before his final exams, I saw him praying for an easy test. It re

Out

  “Hey, I don’t see you around these days!” “Ohh hi! Well, I have been quite busy you know…now with the new job and all” “Even on weekends? You know I got a place quite close to your work right? I handle all these spots so that you can hang out whenever you want.” “Umm yea I guess. Maybe next week?” “Next week is what you promised me three months ago.” “Ugh…I will…try to come! My parents are coming every week anyway right?” “Your parents are good people but I care about you as well. Don’t you get it? Is there something you wanna tell me? I have seen you sharing some pretty controversial stuff about me online.” “Wait a minute. I do not think we follow each other on social media. How do you see my posts?” “Come on, you know I work in mysterious ways!” “I am not sure if I am entirely comfortable with that invasion of my privacy” “For my sake do not fret about it! Here, I have a gift for you. Wear this when you come to my place next week.” “What is this? A headscarf? Why? You know I don’t