Data transformation: a semantically-based approach to function discovery
Thong H. Phan, Ian H. Witten · 1994
This paper presents the method of data transformation for discovering numeric functions from their examples. Based on the idea of transformations between functions, this method can be viewed as a semantic counterpart to the more common approach of formula construction used in most previous discovery systems. Advantages of the new method include a flexible implementation through the design of transformation rules, and a sound basis for rigorous mathematical analysis to characterize what can be discovered. The method has been implemented in a discovery system called "Linus," which can identify a wide range of functions: rational functions, quadratic relations, and many transcendental functions, as well as those that can be transformed to rational functions by combinations of differentiation, logarithm and function inverse operations. Keywords: Function discovery, data transformation Running head: A semanticalled-based approach to function discovery 1 Introduction Function discovery is...