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CS 485Statistical and Computational Foundations of Machine Learning

Units
0.50
Faculty
Mathematics
Subject
Computer Science

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Extracting meaningful patterns from random samples of large data sets. Statistical analysis of the resulting problems. Common algorithmic paradigms for such tasks. Central concepts: VC-dimension, margins of a classifier, sparsity and description length, other types of regularization. Performance guarantees: generalization bounds, data dependent error bounds, and computational complexity of learning algorithms. Common paradigms: neural networks, kernel methods and support-vector machines, boosting, nearest neighbor classifiers. Applications to data mining.

Prerequisites

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001642744 / 76TTh 16:00–17:20

Resources

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Reviewed on UW Flow

86% liked it75% easy86% useful

From 66 ratings and 14 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • A very fun course :D It's like a brain massage. Although when it is done too hard, it can result in brain damage.

    Aug 2017 · liked it · 3 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course is on complexity classes of learning, and not about applying machine learning. I came into it with the wrong expectations and was disapointed.

    May 2016 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Amazing course. This course is less on machine learning (which is like 30% of the course and 0% on the final -- yes final questions are all statistics, no machine learning algo) and more about classical learning theory: learning classes of problem that can't be learned by classical algorithm paradigm like ERM and SRM. Purely theoretical, no coding and entirely math -- but legendary professor and very interesting assignment for theory interest. If you're interested in machine learning theory research, take this course.

    Sep 2024 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Spent wayyyyy too long calculating VC Dimensions of random stuff

    Nov 2021 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • I loved this course, but it was a shame it ended what I felt was too early. In our offering, we left off just shy of support vector machines and didn't cover convex learning problems, etc. because of the pandemic. We spent a lot of time on mathematical building blocks but I feel like a second course on how to put together those building blocks as well as practical applications and more kernel math would be super useful.

    Feb 2020 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

152 posts and comments in 117 threads mention CS 485, February 2012 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Spring 2024

Winter 2024

Best Intro to ML/AI course? 15 points, 14 comments

u/bomankleinn01: “After going through UWFlow, I found a shocking amount of Intro ML/AI courses like: CS 480: Introduction to Machine Learning CS 485: Statistical and Computational Foundations of Machine Learning CS 486: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence MSCI 452: Introduction to Machine …”

u/Osteospermum: “… I can’t speak to MSCI and ECE courses but CS 485 is much more theoretical and less practical and CS 486 focuses more on artificially intelligent agents (e.g. …”

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Fall 2023

I don’t know what to do with my degree 1 point, 14 comments

u/ComfortableEastern51: “… I just want to take some Cs courses along with my math degree to learn and make the degree more applicable ex Cs 241, 251, 341, 348, 480, 485, and 486. …”

u/Organic_Midnight1999: “Bro a Math degree is underrated. As the world advances the problems we face just get harder and harder. We move towards more high level, abstract, and data driven problems - guess what? …”

u/Organic_Midnight1999: “… CS 485 - idk anything about this course lol”

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CS 485? 1 point, 2 comments

u/NotoriousJFD: “I'm considering taking CS 485 - Statistical and Computation Foundations of Machine Learning. I'm interested in applied ML more so than theoretical ML, so I'm wary of how hard it will be. Anyone know about the workload, difficulty, useful/relevance in ML research, etc.? …”

u/COCS2022: “You can check out his CS 485 lectures from 2015 here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPW2keNyw-usgvmR7FTQ3ZRjfLs5jT4BO”

u/atifmi: “CS 485 is the theory behind ML and mainly consists of proofs. CS 480, MSCI 446 cover more of the application of machine learning while doing some theory. topic specific machine learning application can be found in PHYS 449, ECON 424 and GEOG 484. …”

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Spring 2023

Winter 2023

Fall 2022

Fall 2022 Grade Megathread 15 points, 37 comments

“Feel free to discuss anything about marks and exams”

u/clean_mint_mouthwash: “CS 485 is giving me mad stress... prof is a month behind on giving out marks, final exam was rough and I need 50% to pass the course or else i graduate late and need to renege my 300k new grad offer 🥲”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar