Data streams classification with ensemble model based on decision-feedback

Abstract

The main challenges of data streams classification include infinite length, concept-drifting, arrival of novel classes and lack of labeled instances. Most existing techniques address only some of them and ignore others. So an ensemble classification model based on decision-feedback (ECM-BDF) is presented in this paper to address all these challenges. Firstly, a data stream is divided into sequential chunks and a classification model is trained from each labeled data chunk. To address the infinite length and concept-drifting problem, a fixed number of such models constitute an ensemble model E and subsequent labeled chunks are used to update E. To deal with the appearance of novel classes and limited labeled instances problem, the model incorporates a novel class detection mechanism to detect the arrival of a novel class without training E with labeled instances of that class. Meanwhile, unsupervised models are trained from unlabeled instances to provide useful constraints for E. An extended ensemble model E_x can be acquired with the constraints as feedback information, and then unlabeled instances can be classified more accurately by satisfying the maximum consensus of E_x. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed ECM-BDF outperforms traditional techniques in classifying data streams with limited labeled data.