Greedy Algorithm for Deriving Decision Rules from Decision Tree Ensembles.

Abstract

This study introduces a greedy algorithm for deriving decision rules from decision tree ensembles, targeting enhanced interpretability and generalization in distributed data environments. Decision rules, known for their transparency, provide an accessible method for knowledge extraction from data, facilitating decision-making processes across diverse fields. Traditional decision tree algorithms, such as CART and ID3, are employed to induce decision trees from bootstrapped datasets, which represent distributed data sources. Subsequently, a greedy algorithm is applied to derive decision rules that are true across multiple decision trees. Experiments are performed, taking into account knowledge representation and discovery perspectives. They show that, as the value of α, 0≤α<1, increases, shorter rules are obtained, and also it is possible to improve the classification accuracy of rule-based models.