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overfitting

Overfitting is a problem that occurs in machine learning when a model learns the training data too well, capturing noise and details rather than the underlying patterns. This means the model performs excellently on the training data but poorly on new, unseen data. Imagine a student memorizing answers to specific questions for a test instead of learning the concepts; they may ace that test but struggle with different questions later. Achieving a balance between fitting the details of the training data and generalizing well to new examples is crucial for effective machine learning.

Additional Insights

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    Overfitting occurs when a model learns the details and noise of a training dataset too well, to the point where it performs poorly on new, unseen data. Imagine a student who memorizes answers for a specific test but struggles with different questions on an exam. Similarly, an overfit model is too tailored to its training environment, failing to generalize its learning to broader situations. It’s important to strike a balance between fitting the training data accurately and maintaining the ability to apply that knowledge effectively in real-world scenarios.