The Iris dataset and Fisher’s project
While studying Python and its numerous libraries for machine learning, I came across the Iris dataset and the pattern recognition project that Sir R. A. Fisher, a scientist from the 1930s, undertook in the field of biology. The more I delved into Fisher’s project, the more I realized how many aspects of machine learning for pattern recognition align with trading. This intrigued me greatly, and I began to delve deeper into the subject on my own.
The Iris dataset (Figure 11.1) is a classic example of machine learning. It contains 150 samples of Iris flowers, with three species – Iris setosa, Iris versicolor, and Iris virginica. Each sample has four features – sepal length, sepal width, petal length, and petal width – measured in centimeters. The dataset is used to demonstrate classification algorithms as each species can be predicted based on the flower’s measurements. Fisher’s experiment aimed...