

Ask HN: Machine Learning course recommendation. - posharma

Would anyone here be knowing the difference between these 3 machine learning courses?<p>Coursera (Washington univ): https://www.coursera.org/course/machlearning 
Coursera (Stanford): https://www.coursera.org/course/ml 
Stanford SEE: http://see.stanford.edu/see/courseinfo.aspx?coll=348ca38a-3a6d-4052-937d-cb017338d7b1<p>Thanks.
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dvdhsu
Though Coursera's Stanford course and SEE's course are taught by the same
professor, they are different. The Coursera one is 229A(pplied) and doesn't
really explore the math behind the techniques; the SEE one is the original 229
that most Stanford students take, and is significantly more math-intensive.
The 229A page explains the differences well [1]:

> _Q: How does CS229A relate to CS229? Which should I take?

> A: CS229A is complementary to CS229, and provides more applied skills. It's
> okay to take both, though enrollment in CS229A is limited, and we may give
> priority to students who have not taken and who are not taking CS229. If
> your goal is a deep mathematical understanding of machine learning, or if
> your goal is to do research in AI or machine learning, you should definitely
> take CS229 (either instead of, or in addition to, CS229A). CS229 has a more
> difficult set of prerequisites. If you are interested in machine learning
> but aren't sure if you're ready for the mathematical depth that CS229
> requires, then consider taking CS229A instead._

I haven't taken Washington's course, but it seems to be more comprehensive
than both of Stanford's. It's currently only available in preview mode,
though, so you won't have access to quizzes and programming assignments, which
are vital for comprehension and retention.

If you're interested in getting started with machine learning and want to
solving problems with it, I'd suggest the Coursera Stanford one. If you're
interested in theory, go with the SEE one. I'm not familiar with the
Washington one, but I don't recommend it as your primary course as it's still
in preview mode, and only the lectures are available.

1\. <http://cs229a.stanford.edu/faq.html>

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posharma
Thanks a lot!

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dragonbonheur
Stanford won DARPA's self-driving car race, that's all we need to know.

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ankitml
Research and development success can accurately determine quality of teaching.
All these are good, but which one is best can be told by course reviews of
students. Car race winning doesnt help in this.

