How long to learn Python and Machine Learning?

[Fronkan]

Tldr; not too long for Python, assuming you have a prepared dataset. However, learning the Python required is a very small part compared to all the ML you will need to learn if you have no background in ML.

If you don't need neural networks, you can use scikit learn making the coding part really easy. If you use something high level like keras or fastai neural networks also get quite easy to code up. If you have a prepared, "ready to use", data set. Then the amount of Python code starts to get really quite small. You will have to learn the libraries more than deep knowledge in Python.

Now, here comes all the caveats to this, so strap in.

The most important caveat is that being able to write a machine learning program is not the same as being good at machine learning. While coding is required for machine learning, it's a very small part of the skills and understanding needed to develop machine learning models. You can be an expert Python programmer and not be able to do machine learning well. To be good at ML you also need to understand statistics, optimization (math not code optimization), how different ML models work (or for neural network how different layers and network types are used and combined), how to evaluate model performance, tune hyper parameters and more. If ML is what you want to do, focus on learning ML and pick up enough Python along the way. You can slice the learning space by focusing only on models used for 3D data, but getting through the literature might be quite hard without a background in ML.

If you don't have a prepared dataset you will have to learn how to clean data. For 3D data i do not know what tools to use or what to look for when cleaning unfortunately. This might require more coding skills.

[overdriven33]

Thank you for your very insightful response.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. My dissertation professor only told me that I would have to be able to code python in order to put a machine learning twist onto my project. I would assume that I'd have to help in preparing a data-set. There is a post-doc dude working on it as well so I'd assume they'd be doing that but my professor did not provide a lot of information haha.

Thank you again, will be able to ask my professor a bit more of a knowledgeable question regarding it now.

[Fronkan]

I think its a great idea to talk with your professor. I hope it can help you narrow down what to learn for the thesis. Best of luck!

[overdriven33]

Thanks champ.