Students are expected to have basic programming skills, and know some basic
probability/statistics and linear algebra. You can find a more detailed description
of the prerequisites in the course
information.
I have a time conflict with this course and cannot attend the lectures in person. Is it
still possible for me to take it?
Yes it is. This class is recorded and televised by SCPD, and so you will be able to watch the lectures
online at the SCPD site. Regular Stanford students can access the videos here.
The class can be taken with 3 or 4 units. There is no difference
in workload between them. We'd set it up this way mainly to give people
more flexibility, and you're welcome to pick either. We generally
encourage students to register for 4, but if you'd rather do 3 for any
reason (such as if you have a cap on their number of units), registering
for 3 is fine too.
Is this the same class as the free machine learning class?
No, that is a different class, which is not good for Stanford academic
credit. You can learn more about it at www.ml-class.org.
What is the difference between CS229 and CS229A?
CS229 focuses on Machine Learning and will teach you all the major ML techniques from the mathematical theory to the practical application.
CS229A focuses on Applied Machine Learning. This flipped classroom will teach you the Machine Learning techniques from a practical perspective. It is less heavy on the maths than CS229.