The Quinlan-Taylor Classification
The Quinlan-Taylor Classification is an innovative approach to data mining. Comparing and analysing data while mining has been a problem area since the earliest days of data mining. Before attempt to extract useful information out of large data sets, they must be first organised into a meaningful fashion. This challenge was effectively tackled by the Quinlan-Taylor Classification.
The Quinlan-Taylor Classification (QTC) is an algorithm which organizes large data sets into classes with the help of decision trees. Decision trees are basically a graphical representation of solutions to generic problems. Quinlan-Taylor Classification uses a decision tree based system to analyse a data set from various perspectives, or angles. These angles, known as descriptors, can help find meaningful classes within the data sets.
The Quinlan-Taylor Classification uses the concept of dimensions which are something similar to the number of elements contained in a set of data. Each dimension of the data set is then further divided and a decision tree is created for each dimension. At each node of the decision tree, a numerical attribute is assigned to a specific class (e.g. age, height) which is then used to decide the position of the class within the tree.
The Quinlan-Taylor Classification is one of the foremost methodologies used in data mining. It has been used to successfully classify vast amounts of data coming from large data sets. Its flexibility allows the user to start with the basic classifications and modify them further as per requirement. This makes the process of categorizing data much easier.
However, there are certain drawbacks to the Quinlan-Taylor Classification. Firstly, the decision trees used in this system are difficult to interpret and understand. Furthermore, the Quinlan-Taylor Classification does not allow for retraining of the model as per new data sets. This could lead to misclassification of data.
In spite of these drawbacks, the Quinlan-Taylor Classification is still a powerful tool which can be used to organize large data sets into meaningful categories. With the aid of proper training and understanding, this approach can prove to be very useful in data mining projects.