Section: Application Domains

Functional prediction

One of the current trends in machine learning aims at dealing with data that are functions, rather than points or vectors. Generally speaking, functions represent a behavior (of a person, of an apparatus, or of an algorithm, or a response of a system, ...).

One application of functional prediction which is particularly emphasized these days, is the understanding of client behavior, either in material shops, or in virtual shops on the web. This understanding may then be used for different ends, such as the management of stocks according to sales, the proposition of products according to those already bought, the “instantaneous” management of some resource in the shop (advisors, cashiers, instant promotions, personalized advertisement, ...).