Machine learning has a major application in biology and medicine and many fields of research in bioinformatics are based on machine learning. Machine learning methods, for example neural networks used for the secondary and 3D structure prediction of proteins, have proven their value as essential bioinformatics tools. Modern measurement techniques in both biology and medicine create a huge demand for new machine learning approaches. For example, measurement of mRNA concentrations with microarrays, integration of DNA data with other complementary measurements in order to detect alternative splicing, nucleosome positions, gene regulation, etc.

In this book the most prominent machine learning techniques are introduced and their mathematical foundations are shown. Only few selected applications of machine learning in biology and medicine are given as the focus is on the understanding of the machine learning techniques.