Data Glossary Lab

The Activation Function is a mathematical rule that determines the output of a neuron, taking as input the weighted sum of the neuron's inputs. It decides if and how the neuron should influence the network's output.

Backpropagation is the fundamental algorithm used for efficiently training Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Essentially, it is a method for calculating the network's prediction error relative to the correct target values and using that error to adjust the network's weights and biases. The process involves two phases: first, the prediction is sent forward (forward pass), and then the error is propagated backward (backward pass) through the network. This backward propagation allows the algorithm to determine how much each neuron and weight contributed to the final error, enabling gradual improvement.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a branch of computer science and artificial intelligence that deals with making computer applications understand and analyze written or spoken human language. NLP techniques take input text data, which is usually unstructured, and convert it into a structured form. The techniques then look for linguistic and contextual patterns, categorize them, and extract valuable insights from this data. NLP also involves leveraging machine learning and deep learning to generate language, categorize it, and complete other cognitive tasks using language. Some common applications of NLP include chatbots, speech-to-text converters, sentiment analysis, and automatic translation.

An accuracy score is an evaluation metric used to estimate a machine learning model’s performance, showing the ratio of the number of correct predictions to the total number of predictions.

Predictive analytics represents the convergence of historical intelligence and forward-thinking technology.

Descriptive analytics is the process of examining historical data to understand what happened in your business and why it happened. It's the foundation of data analysis—the autopsy that reveals patterns, trends, and insights buried in your numbers.

Prescriptive analytics is where data stops telling you stories and starts giving you orders. It analyzes your data, evaluates possible scenarios, and recommends specific actions to achieve your desired outcomes.

Exploratory Data Analysis is the forensic investigation phase of data science. Before building models or making predictions, you interrogate your data—probing for patterns, hunting anomalies, testing assumptions.

A dashboard is your business's command center—a single screen that consolidates critical metrics, KPIs, and data points into digestible visual displays.