Decision Trees

A decision tree is a graphical representation of a hierarchical set of rules that describe how one might evaluate or classify an object of interest based on the answers to a series of questions. For instance, a decision tree can codify the sequence of tests a doctor might take in diagnosing a patient. Such a decision tree will order the tests based on their importance to the diagnostic task. The result of each successive test dictates the path you take through the tree and therefore the tests (and their order) that will be suggested. When you finally reach a node in which there is no further tests are suggested, the patient has been fully diagnosed. Decision trees have the advantage of being easy to understand because of their hierarchical rule structure, and explanations for their diagnoses can be readily and automatically generated.


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Decision Trees, A decision tree is a graphical representation of a hierarchical set of rules that describe how one might evaluate or classify an object of interest based on the answers to a series of questions. For instance, a decision tree can codify the sequence of tests a doctor might take in diagnosing a patient. Such a decision tree will order the tests based on their importance to the diagnostic task. The result of each successive test dictates the path you take through the tree and therefore the tests (and their order) that will be suggested. When you finally reach a node in which there is no further tests are suggested, the patient has been fully diagnosed. Decision trees have the advantage of being easy to understand because of their hierarchical rule structure, and explanations for their diagnoses can be readily and automatically generated.,