Books

[Book Summary] Guns, Germs, and Steel--The Rise and Spread of Food Production

The Core Arguments * Domestication as a Driver of Development: Jared Diamond posits that the availability of domesticable plants and animals is the key factor explaining disparities in human development. * Global Patterns of Food Production: Food production emerged independently in several regions, including the Fertile Crescent, China, Mesoamerica, the Andes, and

Credit Risk Modeling with Transformers: A Literature Review and My Experimentation

1. Babaei and Giudici (2024) - "GPT Classifications, with Application to Credit Lending" Technique: Prompt-engineering Focus: * Application of GPT models in binary classification for credit scoring. * Comparison with traditional machine learning models like logistic regression. Key Points: a. Data Preparation and Input for Transformer Models: * The prompt sent

Using Large Language Models in Classification Tasks: A Case Study in Credit Risk Modeling-- My Failed Attempt #1

With the advancement of large language models, I am curious about their implications for the industry practice of classification tasks, where traditional models like logistic regression and tree-based models currently dominate. The data I used comes from Kaggle, specifically from a competition organised by Home Credit, a prominent player in

Books

[Book Summary] Guns, Germs, and Steel--The Rise and Spread of Food Production (Part 1)

In this blog, I will first briefly summarise part 2 of the book since I have been occupied with my other commitments. The first two chapters describe the problem the author intends to solve in the next five chapters. The Core Arguments * The author argues that the availability of domestic

Documenting My Recent Work in Revisiting Linear Algebra

In this article, I will document some of my recent work in revisiting linear algebra, a subject that has gained renewed importance due to its pivotal role in Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a member of the younger generation, I believe that AI presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to participate

Books

[Book Summary] Guns, Germs, and Steel--From Eden to Cajamarca

The Core Arguments 1. The author examines the vast sweep of human history, from the divergence of our lineage from African apes 7 million years ago to the colonization of the last remaining islands within the past 700 years. This perspective highlights the difficulty of predicting continental development if history

Books

[Book Summary] Guns, Germs, and Steel--Prologue

This is my second reading of this fascinating book. I previously read the Chinese version two years ago and summarised it on my blog. Now, I aim to create a more in-depth analysis by writing a summary for each major section: the prologue, 'From Eden to Cajamarca,' '

Inside My Productivity Toolbox: Tips and Tricks for Staying on Track

In the quest for increased productivity, it's easy to fall into the trap of consuming countless articles and videos when you should begin working on the tasks. However, the true path to productivity lies in understanding the underlying reasons for unproductivity and developing personalised strategies to overcome them.

An Introvert's Perspective: The Surprising Benefits of Small Talk

I recently stumbled upon an insightful video on YouTube titled How to Get Good at Small Talk, and Even Enjoy It - YouTube The video highlights several key points about the importance of small talk in our daily lives: 1. Small talk is more than just chit-chat; it is a

AI V.S. Human: A Survey on Human Opinions

How humans work with AI will be one of the most critical topics in our generation. In light of this, I use different generative AI platforms to survey human opinions based on books, words from thought leaders and government policies. Books Based on our discussion and the information provided from

Supplementary Note to the Gridworld Exmaple in Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction

The author of Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction gives an example of a state-value function using a grid (Example 3.5). Readers like me may be confused about how the values of each cell are calculated. The author provided codes to compute the state value. The codes are written in LISP.

ChatGPT: Unveiling an Effective and Engaging Approach to Reading Books

Reading is a beacon of knowledge in the lifelong learning journey, offering pathways to myriad destinations. Yet, as I reflect on my reading habits, I've come to recognise the existence of distinct reading methodologies, each serving a unique purpose in the quest for understanding. 1. The Quest for