Machine learning is a powerful tool for analyzing and making predictions from data. It has two main categories: supervised learning and unsupervised learning. In this blog post, we will explain the differences between the two methods and provide approachable examples to help you understand them.

Supervised learning is a type of machine learning where the algorithm learns to predict an output based on input data that is labeled with a correct output. The algorithm is trained on a dataset with input/output pairs and uses that information to make predictions on new data. For example, suppose we want to predict the price of a house based on its size. In supervised learning, we would use a dataset with the size and price of several houses, and the algorithm would learn to predict the price of a new house based on its size.

Unsupervised learning is a type of machine learning where the algorithm learns patterns from input data without being explicitly told what the correct output should be. Instead, it discovers hidden structures or patterns in the data that can be used to make predictions or decisions. For example, suppose we want to group a set of customers based on their purchasing behaviour. In unsupervised learning, we would use a dataset of customer purchases and the algorithm would group customers with similar buying patterns into different segments.

The main difference between supervised learning and unsupervised learning is that supervised learning uses labeled data to train the algorithm, while unsupervised learning uses unlabelled data. Supervised learning is used when we have a specific output that we want to predict, such as predicting whether a customer will churn or not. Unsupervised learning is used when we want to discover hidden patterns or structures in the data, such as grouping similar customers together.

Another difference is the type of problems they can solve. Supervised learning is best suited for classification and regression problems, where the output is a categorical or continuous variable. Unsupervised learning is best suited for clustering and association rule mining problems, where the goal is to group similar data points or find interesting relationships between variables.

In conclusion, supervised learning and unsupervised learning are two distinct approaches to machine learning. Supervised learning uses labeled data to train the algorithm to predict specific outputs, while unsupervised learning uses unlabelled data to discover hidden structures or patterns in the data. By understanding the differences between these two methods, we can better choose the appropriate method for our problem and build effective machine learning models that meet our needs.