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Stacked Generalization (Stacking)

Stacked generalization (or stacking) (Wolpert, 1992) is a different way of combining multiple models, that introduces the concept of a meta learner. Although an attractive idea, it is less widely used than bagging and boosting. Unlike bagging and boosting, stacking may be (and normally is) used to combine models of different types. The procedure is as follows:

  1. Split the training set into two disjoint sets.
  2. Train several base learners on the first part.
  3. Test the base learners on the second part.
  4. Using the predictions from 3) as the inputs, and the correct responses as the outputs, train a higher level learner.
Note that steps 1) to 3) are the same as cross-validation, but instead of using a winner-takes-all approach, we combine the base learners, possibly nonlinearly.

Seminal Paper

WOLPERT, David H., 1992. Stacked generalization, Neural Networks, Volume 5, Issue 2, Pages 241-259. [Cited by 855] (59.99/year)
Abstract: "This paper introduces stacked generalization, a scheme for minimizing the generalization error rate of one or more generalizers. Stacked generalization works by deducing the biases of the generalizer(s) with respect to a provided learning set. This deduction proceeds by generalizing in a second space whose inputs are (for example) the guesses of the original generalizers when taught with part of the learning set and trying to guess the rest of it, and whose output is (for example) the correct guess. When used with multiple generalizers, stacked generalization can be seen as a more sophisticated version of cross-validation, exploiting a strategy more sophisticated than cross-validation's crude winner-takes-all for combining the individual generalizers. When used with a single generalizer, stacked generalization is a scheme for estimating (and then correcting for) the error of a generalizer which has been trained on a particular learning set and then asked a particular question. After introducing stacked generalization and justifying its use, this paper presents two numerical experiments. The first demonstrates how stacked generalization improves upon a set of separate generalizers for the NETtalk task of translating text to phonemes. The second demonstrates how stacked generalization improves the performance of a single surface-fitter. With the other experimental evidence in the literature, the usual arguments supporting cross-validation, and the abstract justifications presented in this paper, the conclusion is that for almost any real-world generalization problem one should use some version of stacked generalization to minimize the generalization error rate. This paper ends by discussing some of the variations of stacked generalization, and how it touches on other fields like chaos theory."

Bibliography