Data sampling techniques
Data sampling is a practical approach to reducing the size of large datasets without sacrificing representativeness. Several techniques exist, each with specific use cases and trade-offs. Random sampling selects data points uniformly at random from the dataset. It is simple and effective when the data is independently and identically distributed, but it may miss important subgroups if the data is imbalanced. Systematic sampling selects every kth item from a list after a random starting point. It is more structured than random sampling and can be useful when the data is ordered in a meaningful way, though it risks introducing bias if the ordering aligns with hidden periodic patterns. Reservoir sampling is designed for streaming of unknown-size datasets. It maintains a fixed-size sample while iterating through the data sequentially and ensures that every item has an equal probability of being included. This is particularly useful in online or incremental learning...