From: morgan@unix.SRI.COM (Morgan Kaufmann Publishers)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Announcement of new book and classifier software
Keywords: C4.5, learning, classifier, book
Date: 9 Oct 92 03:27:20 GMT
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA


          Morgan Kaufmann Announces the Publication of

               C4.5: PROGRAMS FOR MACHINE LEARNING

                       By J. Ross Quinlan
                      University of Sydney

October 25, 1992

Book only: ISBN 1-55860-238-0    $ 44.95 U.S.  $49.45 International
Book & Software: ISBN 1-55860-240-2 $69.95 U.S.  $76.00
International
Software only: ISBN 1-55860-239-9 $34.95 U.S. $38.45 International

Classifier systems play a major role in machine learning and
knowledge-based systems, and Ross Quinlan's work on ID3 and C4.5 is
widely acknowledged to have made some of the most significant
contributions to their development. This book is a complete guide
to the C4.5 system as implemented in C for the UNIX environment. It
contains a comprehensive guide to its use , the source code (about
8,800 lines), and implementation notes. The source code and sample
datasets are also available on a 3.5-inch floppy diskette for a Sun
workstation.

C4.5 starts with large sets of cases belonging to known classes.
The cases, described by any mixture of nominal and numeric
properties, are scrutinized for patterns that allow the classes to
be reliably discriminated. These patterns are then expressed as
models, in the form of decision trees or sets of if-then rules,
that can be used to classify new cases, with emphasis on making the
models understandable as well as accurate. The system has been
applied successfully to tasks involving tens of thousands of cases
described by hundreds of properties. The book starts from simple
core learning methods and shows how they can be elaborated and
extended to deal with typical problems such as missing data and
over hitting. Advantages and disadvantages of the C4.5 approach are
discussed and illustrated with several case studies.

This book and software should be of interest to developers of
classification-based intelligent systems and to students in machine
learning and expert systems courses.


                        Table of Contents

Preface
  How to Obtain the C4.5 Software


 1  Introduction

 2  Constructing Decision Trees

 3  Unknown Attribute Values

 4  Pruning Decision Trees

 5  From Trees to Rules

 6  Windowing

 7  Grouping Attribute Values

 8  Interacting with Classification Models

 9  Guide to Using the System

10  Limitations

11  Desirable Additions

Appendix
References and Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index

OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST FROM MORGAN KAUFMANN PUBLISHERS

Readings in Knowledge Acquisition and Learning: Automating the
Construction and Improvement of Programs.
     Edited by Bruce G. Buchanan (University of Pittsburgh) and
     David C. Wilkins (University of Illinois)

Paradigms of Artificial Intelligence Programming: Case Studies in
Common Lisp.
     Peter Norvig (Sun Microsystems Laboratories).


Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc

Ordering Information:

     Shipping: In the U.S. and Canada, please add $3.50 for the
     first book and $2.50 for each additional for surface shipping;
     for surface shipments to all other areas, please add $6.50 for
     the first book and $3.50 for each additional book.  Air
     shipment available outside North America for $35.00 on the
     first book, and $25.00 on each additional book.  

     American Express, Master Card, Visa and personal checks drawn
     on US banks are accepted.

     MORGAN KAUFMANN PUBLISHERS, INC.
     Department E4  
     2929 Campus Drive, Suite 260
     San Mateo, CA 94403
     USA
     
     Phone: (800) 745-7323 (in North America)
          (415) 578-9911
     Fax: (415) 578-0672
     email: morgan@unix.sri.com