Tools and Techniques

Data mining

• Statistical methods
• Decision trees
• Case based reasoning
• Neural computing
• Intelligent agents
• Genetic algorithms

Text Mining

• Hidden content
• Group by themes
• Determine relationships

Find-by-search approaches

These are analytical techniques (algorithms) for finding possible outcomes for structured problems

• A general step-by-step search for solutions that eventually obtains (finds) an optimal solution.

Blind searching
Complete enumeration search
All alternatives explored
Incomplete search
Partial search

• Achieves satysficing of particular goal
• May obtain optimal goal

Heurisitic searching
Repeated, step-by-step searches
Rule-based, so used for specific situations
Will find a “good enough” solution, but eventually will obtain optimal outcome
Examples of heuristics
Tabu search
Remembers and directs toward higher quality choices
Genetic algorithms
Randomly examines pairs of solutions, chooses best solutions so far and mutates them to find even better solutions