2 Introduction to the Example Problem and Pandas dataframes
This chapter covers
- Development environment options for deep learning
- Introduction to Pandas dataframes
- Introduction to the major example used in this book to illustrate deep learning on structured data: predicting streetcar delays
- Format and scope of the example dataset
- More details on common objections to using deep learning with structured data
- A peek ahead at the process of training a deep learning model
In this chapter you’ll learn about the options that you can pick from for a deep learning environment and how to bring tabular structured data into your Python program. You will get an overview of Pandas, the Pythonic facility for manipulating tabular structured data. You will also learn about the major example that is used throughout this book to demonstrate deep learning for structured data, including details about the dataset used in the major example and the overall structure of the code for this example. Then you will get more details on the objections to deep learning with structured data that were introduced in chapter 1. Finally, we will take a peek ahead and go through a round of training the deep learning model to whet your appetite for the rest of the extended example that is examined through chapters 3 to 8.