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verticapy.vDataColumn.discretize

vDataColumn.discretize(method: Literal['auto', 'smart', 'same_width', 'same_freq', 'topk'] = 'auto', h: Annotated[int | float | Decimal, 'Python Numbers'] = 0, nbins: int = -1, k: int = 6, new_category: str = 'Others', RFmodel_params: dict | None = None, response: str | None = None, return_enum_trans: bool = False) vDataFrame

Discretizes the vDataColumn using the input method.

Parameters

method: str, optional

The method used to discretize the vDataColumn:

  • auto:

    Uses method ‘same_width’ for numerical vDataColumns, casts the other types to varchar.

  • same_freq:

    Computes bins with the same number of elements.

  • same_width:

    Computes regular width bins.

  • smart:

    Uses the Random Forest on a response column to find the most relevant interval to use for the discretization.

  • topk:

    Keeps the topk most frequent categories and merge the other into one unique category.

h: PythonNumber, optional

The interval size used to convert the vDataColumn. If this parameter is equal to 0, an optimised interval is computed.

nbins: int, optional

Number of bins used for the discretization (must be > 1)

k: int, optional

The integer k of the ‘topk’ method.

new_category: str, optional

The name of the merging category when using the ‘topk’ method.

RFmodel_params: dict, optional

Dictionary of the Random Forest model parameters used to compute the best splits when ‘method’ is set to ‘smart’. A RF Regressor is trained if the response is numerical (except ints and bools), a RF Classifier otherwise. Example: Write {“n_estimators”: 20, “max_depth”: 10} to train a Random Forest with 20 trees and a maximum depth of 10.

response: str, optional

Response vDataColumn when method is set to ‘smart’.

return_enum_trans: bool, optional

Returns the transformation instead of the vDataFrame parent, and does not apply the transformation. This parameter is useful for testing the look of the final transformation.

Returns

vDataFrame

self._parent

Examples

We import verticapy:

import verticapy as vp

Hint

By assigning an alias to verticapy, we mitigate the risk of code collisions with other libraries. This precaution is necessary because verticapy uses commonly known function names like “average” and “median”, which can potentially lead to naming conflicts. The use of an alias ensures that the functions from verticapy are used as intended without interfering with functions from other libraries.

For this example, we will use the Titanic dataset.

import verticapy.datasets as vpd

data = vpd.load_titanic()
123
pclass
Integer
123
survived
Integer
Abc
Varchar(164)
Abc
sex
Varchar(20)
123
age
Numeric(8)
123
sibsp
Integer
123
parch
Integer
Abc
ticket
Varchar(36)
123
fare
Numeric(12)
Abc
cabin
Varchar(30)
Abc
embarked
Varchar(20)
Abc
boat
Varchar(100)
123
body
Integer
Abc
home.dest
Varchar(100)
110female2.012113781151.55C22 C26S[null][null]Montreal, PQ / Chesterville, ON
210male30.012113781151.55C22 C26S[null]135Montreal, PQ / Chesterville, ON
310female25.012113781151.55C22 C26S[null][null]Montreal, PQ / Chesterville, ON
410male39.0001120500.0A36S[null][null]Belfast, NI
510male71.000PC 1760949.5042[null]C[null]22Montevideo, Uruguay
610male47.010PC 17757227.525C62 C64C[null]124New York, NY
710male[null]00PC 1731825.925[null]S[null][null]New York, NY
810male24.001PC 17558247.5208B58 B60C[null][null]Montreal, PQ
910male36.0001305075.2417C6CA[null]Winnipeg, MN
1010male25.0001390526.0[null]C[null]148San Francisco, CA
1110male45.00011378435.5TS[null][null]Trenton, NJ
1210male42.00011048926.55D22S[null][null]London / Winnipeg, MB
1310male41.00011305430.5A21S[null][null]Pomeroy, WA
1410male48.000PC 1759150.4958B10C[null]208Omaha, NE
1510male[null]0011237939.6[null]C[null][null]Philadelphia, PA
1610male45.00011305026.55B38S[null][null]Washington, DC
1710male[null]0011379831.0[null]S[null][null][null]
1810male33.0006955.0B51 B53 B55S[null][null]New York, NY
1910male28.00011305947.1[null]S[null][null]Montevideo, Uruguay
2010male17.00011305947.1[null]S[null][null]Montevideo, Uruguay
2110male49.0001992426.0[null]S[null][null]Ascot, Berkshire / Rochester, NY
2210male36.0101987778.85C46S[null]172Little Onn Hall, Staffs
2310male46.010W.E.P. 573461.175E31S[null][null]Amenia, ND
2410male[null]001120510.0[null]S[null][null]Liverpool, England / Belfast
2510male27.01013508136.7792C89C[null][null]Los Angeles, CA
2610male[null]0011046552.0A14S[null][null]Stoughton, MA
2710male47.000572725.5875E58S[null][null]Victoria, BC
2810male37.011PC 1775683.1583E52C[null][null]Lakewood, NJ
2910male[null]0011379126.55[null]S[null][null]Roachdale, IN
3010male70.011WE/P 573571.0B22S[null]269Milwaukee, WI
3110male39.010PC 1759971.2833C85C[null][null]New York, NY
3210male31.010F.C. 1275052.0B71S[null][null]Montreal, PQ
3310male50.010PC 17761106.425C86C[null]62Deephaven, MN / Cedar Rapids, IA
3410male39.000PC 1758029.7A18C[null]133Philadelphia, PA
3510female36.000PC 1753131.6792A29C[null][null]New York, NY
3610male[null]00PC 17483221.7792C95S[null][null][null]
3710male30.00011305127.75C111C[null][null]New York, NY
3810male19.03219950263.0C23 C25 C27S[null][null]Winnipeg, MB
3910male64.01419950263.0C23 C25 C27S[null][null]Winnipeg, MB
4010male[null]0011377826.55D34S[null][null]Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
4110male[null]001120580.0B102S[null][null][null]
4210male37.01011380353.1C123S[null][null]Scituate, MA
4310male47.00011132038.5E63S[null]275St Anne's-on-Sea, Lancashire
4410male24.000PC 1759379.2B86C[null][null][null]
4510male71.000PC 1775434.6542A5C[null][null]New York, NY
4610male38.001PC 17582153.4625C91S[null]147Winnipeg, MB
4710male46.000PC 1759379.2B82 B84C[null][null]New York, NY
4810male[null]0011379642.4[null]S[null][null][null]
4910male45.0103697383.475C83S[null][null]New York, NY
5010male40.0001120590.0B94S[null]110[null]
5110male55.0111274993.5B69S[null]307Montreal, PQ
5210male42.00011303842.5B11S[null][null]London / Middlesex
5310male[null]001746351.8625E46S[null][null]Brighton, MA
5410male55.00068050.0C39S[null][null]London / Birmingham
5510male42.01011378952.0[null]S[null]38New York, NY
5610male[null]00PC 1760030.6958[null]C14[null]New York, NY
5710female50.000PC 1759528.7125C49C[null][null]Paris, France New York, NY
5810male46.00069426.0[null]S[null]80Bennington, VT
5910male50.00011304426.0E60S[null][null]London
6010male32.500113503211.5C132C[null]45[null]
6110male58.0001177129.7B37C[null]258Buffalo, NY
6210male41.0101746451.8625D21S[null][null]Southington / Noank, CT
6310male[null]0011302826.55C124S[null][null]Portland, OR
6410male[null]00PC 1761227.7208[null]C[null][null]Chicago, IL
6510male29.00011350130.0D6S[null]126Springfield, MA
6610male30.00011380145.5[null]S[null][null]London / New York, NY
6710male30.00011046926.0C106S[null][null]Brockton, MA
6810male19.01011377353.1D30S[null][null]New York, NY
6910male46.0001305075.2417C6C[null]292Vancouver, BC
7010male54.0001746351.8625E46S[null]175Dorchester, MA
7110male28.010PC 1760482.1708[null]C[null][null]New York, NY
7210male65.0001350926.55E38S[null]249East Bridgewater, MA
7310male44.0201992890.0C78Q[null]230Fond du Lac, WI
7410male55.00011378730.5C30S[null][null]Montreal, PQ
7510male47.00011379642.4[null]S[null][null]Washington, DC
7610male37.001PC 1759629.7C118C[null][null]Brooklyn, NY
7710male58.00235273113.275D48C[null]122Lexington, MA
7810male64.00069326.0[null]S[null]263Isle of Wight, England
7910male65.00111350961.9792B30C[null]234Providence, RI
8010male28.500PC 1756227.7208D43C[null]189?Havana, Cuba
8110male[null]001120520.0[null]S[null][null]Belfast
8210male45.50011304328.5C124S[null]166Surbiton Hill, Surrey
8310male23.0001274993.5B24S[null][null]Montreal, PQ
8410male29.01011377666.6C2S[null][null]Isleworth, England
8510male18.010PC 17758108.9C65C[null][null]Madrid, Spain
8610male47.00011046552.0C110S[null]207Worcester, MA
8710male38.000199720.0[null]S[null][null]Rotterdam, Netherlands
8810male22.000PC 17760135.6333[null]C[null]232[null]
8910male[null]00PC 17757227.525[null]C[null][null][null]
9010male31.000PC 1759050.4958A24S[null][null]Trenton, NJ
9110male[null]0011376750.0A32S[null][null]Seattle, WA
9210male36.0001304940.125A10C[null][null]Winnipeg, MB
9310male55.010PC 1760359.4[null]C[null][null]New York, NY
9410male33.00011379026.55[null]S[null]109London
9510male61.013PC 17608262.375B57 B59 B63 B66C[null][null]Haverford, PA / Cooperstown, NY
9610male50.0101350755.9E44S[null][null]Duluth, MN
9710male56.00011379226.55[null]S[null][null]New York, NY
9810male56.0001776430.6958A7C[null][null]St James, Long Island, NY
9910male24.0101369560.0C31S[null][null]Huntington, WV
10010male[null]0011305626.0A19S[null][null]Streatham, Surrey
Rows: 1-100 | Columns: 14

Note

VerticaPy offers a wide range of sample datasets that are ideal for training and testing purposes. You can explore the full list of available datasets in the Datasets, which provides detailed information on each dataset and how to use them effectively. These datasets are invaluable resources for honing your data analysis and machine learning skills within the VerticaPy environment.

Let’s look at “age” vcolumn

data["age"]
123
age
Numeric(8)
12.0
230.0
325.0
439.0
571.0
647.0
7[null]
824.0
936.0
1025.0
1145.0
1242.0
1341.0
1448.0
15[null]
1645.0
17[null]
1833.0
1928.0
2017.0

Let’s look at the distribution of age.

data["age"].bar()

Let’s discretize “age” using the same bar width.

data["age"].discretize(method = "same_width", h = 10)
data["age"]
Abc
age
Varchar(127)
1[0;10]
2[30;40]
3[20;30]
4[30;40]
5[70;80]
6[40;50]
7[null]
8[20;30]
9[30;40]
10[20;30]
11[40;50]
12[40;50]
13[40;50]
14[40;50]
15[null]
16[40;50]
17[null]
18[30;40]
19[20;30]
20[10;20]

Let’s look at the distribution of age again.

data["age"].bar()

Let’s discretize “age” using the same frequency per bin.

data = vpd.load_titanic() # Reloading the dataset
data["age"].discretize(method = "same_freq", nbins = 5)
data["age"]
Abc
age
Varchar(15)
1[0.330;19.000]
2[25.000;31.000]
3[19.000;25.000]
4[31.000;42.000]
5[42.000;80.000]
6[42.000;80.000]
7[null]
8[19.000;25.000]
9[31.000;42.000]
10[19.000;25.000]
11[42.000;80.000]
12[31.000;42.000]
13[31.000;42.000]
14[42.000;80.000]
15[null]
16[42.000;80.000]
17[null]
18[31.000;42.000]
19[25.000;31.000]
20[0.330;19.000]

Let’s look at the distribution of age again.

data["age"].bar()

Let’s discretize “age” using a response column distribution.

Note

While discretizing using a response column distribution, a Random Forest Model will be created.

data = vpd.load_titanic()
data["age"].discretize(
    method = "smart",
    response = "survived",
    nbins = 6,
    RFmodel_params = {"n_estimators": 20},
)
data["age"].topk()
...
count
percent
[15.467300;55.302300]...83367.504
[55.302300;80.0]...594.781
[8.297000;15.467300]...383.079
[1.126700;5.110200]...332.674
[0.33;1.126700]...201.621
[5.110200;8.297000]...141.135

Let’s look at the distribution of age again.

data["age"].bar()

See also

vDataFrame.decode() : User Defined Encoding.
vDataFrame.label_encode() : Label Encoding.
vDataFrame.mean_encode() : Mean Encoding.
vDataFrame.one_hot_encode() : One Hot Encoding.