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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2025/2026

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Informatics : Informatics

Undergraduate Course: Machine Learning Theory (UG) (INFR11224)

This course will be closed from 31 July 2025

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Informatics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryFollowing the closure of this course, a suggested replacement for students to consider is: Advanced Topics in Machine Learning (UG) INFR11289.

This course follows the delivery and assessment of Machine Learning Theory (INFR11202) exactly. Undergraduate students must register for this course, while MSc students must register for INFR11202 instead.
Course description This course follows the delivery and assessment of Machine Learning Theory (INFR11202) exactly. Undergraduate students must register for this course, while MSc students must register for INFR11202 instead.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed Introductory Applied Machine Learning (INFR10069) OR Applied Machine Learning (INFR11211) OR Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition (INFR11130) OR Machine Learning (INFR10086) OR Data Analysis and Machine Learning 4 (ELEE10031)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking Machine Learning Theory (INFR11202)
Other requirements This course follows the delivery and assessment of Machine Learning Theory (INFR11202) exactly. Undergraduate students must register for this course, while MSc students must register for INFR11202 instead.

Students should be confident in standard machine learning ideas: training and test sets, classification, regression, clustering; standard machine learning methods: support vector machines, linear regression, k-means etc. Good understanding of probability and probabilistic arguments is necessary. Experience of hands on data analysis and use of machine learning can be beneficial, but is not necessary.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesStudents should be confident in standard machine learning ideas: training and test sets, classification, regression, clustering; standard machine learning methods: support vector machines, linear regression, k-means etc. Good understanding of probability and probabilistic arguments is necessary. Experience of hands on data analysis and use of machine learning can be beneficial, but is not necessary.

This is a fourth-year honours level course; students are expected to have an academic profile equivalent to the first three years of this degree programme. Study equivalent to the following University of Edinburgh courses is recommended: Introductory Applied Machine Learning (INFR10069) OR Applied Machine Learning (INFR11211) OR Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition (INFR11130) OR Machine Learning (INFR10086) OR Data Analysis and Machine Learning 4 (ELEE10031)
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. interpret and explain rigorous statements about properties of machine learning methods
  2. evaluate properties of learning models through proofs and examples
  3. relate, compare, and contrast the implications of various qualities of machine learning models covered in the course
  4. formulate precise mathematical requirements corresponding to desired properties in real learning problems, and explain their decisions
Reading List
'Understanding Machine Learning: From Theory to Algorithms', by Shai Ben-David and Shai Shalev-Schwartz
Additional Information
Course URL https://opencourse.inf.ed.ac.uk/mlt
Graduate Attributes and Skills Problem solving
Critical / analytical thinking
Independent learning
Written communication
Keywordsmachine learning,data science,algorithms,theory
Contacts
Course organiserDr Rik Sarkar
Tel: (0131 6)50 4444
Email: Rik.Sarkar@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Kerry Fernie
Tel: (0131 6)50 5194
Email: kerry.fernie@ed.ac.uk
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