Beginner · Data
Categorical data
Visual diagram · (in preparation) · Math · (in preparation) · Worked example · 3 difficulty levels.
TL;DR. Data that represents categories or labels, where each data point belongs to one specific group from a defined set of possibilities.
Technical Definition
Data that represents categories or labels, where each data point belongs to one specific group from a defined set of possibilities.
How it works
Categorical data, also known as discrete data, represents characteristics that can be divided into distinct groups or categories. Examples include colors (red, blue, green) or types of traffic lights (red, yellow, green). Machine learning models can learn from these categories to make predictions or identify patterns.
Related Concepts
- Feature Engineering — The process of creating, selecting, and transforming input variables to improve a machine learning model's performance.