Machine Learning šā⬠How CatBoost Handles Categorical Features, Ordered Boosting & Ordered Target Statistics š Ankit Tomar, July 3, 2025July 3, 2025 CatBoost isnāt just āanother gradient boosting library.āIts real magic lies in how it natively handles categorical variables, avoids target leakage, and reduces prediction shift ā three major pain points in traditional boosting. Letās break this down step by step. š§© Problem: Categorical variables in tree models Most boosting libraries (like… Continue Reading
Machine Learning CatBoost – An Algorithm you need Ankit Tomar, July 2, 2025July 3, 2025 Hi there! In this post, weāll explore CatBoost in depth ā what it is, why it was created, how it works internally (including symmetric trees, ordered boosting, and ordered target statistics), and guidance on when to use or avoid it. š What is CatBoost? CatBoost is a gradient boosting library… Continue Reading
Machine Learning Decision Trees ā A Complete Guide Ankit Tomar, June 28, 2025June 27, 2025 Decision Trees are one of the most intuitive and interpretable models in machine learning. They are widely used in both classification and regression problems due to their simplicity and flexibility. Below, we cover their internal workings, strengths, limitations, and answer key interview questions. š³ What Is a Decision Tree? A… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 10. Feature Selection ā Separating Signal from Noise Ankit Tomar, June 27, 2025June 26, 2025 In our last blog, we talked about feature engineering, and hopefully, you got excited and created dozens ā if not hundreds ā of new features. Now, you may be wondering: Which ones should I actually use in my model? Donāt worry ā weāve all been there. Welcome to the world… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 9. Feature Engineering ā The Unsung Hero of Machine Learning Ankit Tomar, June 26, 2025June 26, 2025 As we continue our journey through machine learning model development, itās time to shine a light on one of the most critical yet underrated aspects ā Feature Engineering. If you ever wondered why two people using the same dataset and algorithm get wildly different results, the answer often lies in… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 8. Encoding Categorical Variables Ankit Tomar, June 25, 2025June 24, 2025 Great job sticking through the foundational parts of ML so far. Now letās talk about something crucial ā how to handle categorical variables. This is one of the first real technical steps when working with data, and it can make or break your modelās performance. š§ Why Do We Need… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 7. Model Metrics ā Classification Ankit Tomar, June 24, 2025June 24, 2025 Letās talk about a topic that often gets underestimated ā classification metrics in machine learning. I know many of you are eager to dive into LLMs and the shiny new world of GenAI. But hereās the truth: without building a strong foundation in traditional ML, your understanding of advanced systems… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 6. Model Metrics for Regression Problems Ankit Tomar, June 23, 2025June 10, 2025 Understanding the Right Way to Measure Accuracy In machine learning, building a regression model is only half the work. The other halfāand just as importantāis evaluating its performance. But how do we know if the model is good? And how do we convince business stakeholders that it works? This blog… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 5. Cross Validation in Machine Learning Ankit Tomar, June 22, 2025June 10, 2025 Why it matters and how to use it right So far, weāve touched on how machine learning models are trained, validated, and deployed. Now, letās dig deeper into one of the most important steps in the machine learning lifecycle: validationāmore specifically, cross-validation. š Why model validation is critical Validation is… Continue Reading
Machine Learning 4. How to Make a Machine Learning Model Live Ankit Tomar, June 21, 2025June 9, 2025 So far, weāve discussed how to train, test, and evaluate machine learning models. In this blog, letās talk about the finalābut one of the most importantāsteps: model deployment. Youāve built a great model. Now what? The real value of any machine learning (ML) model is unlocked only when itās used… Continue Reading