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Stacking in Machine Learning
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LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine)

Last Updated : 06 Jun, 2025
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LightGBM is an open-source high-performance framework developed by Microsoft. It is an ensemble learning framework that uses gradient boosting method which constructs a strong learner by sequentially adding weak learners in a gradient descent manner.

It's designed for efficiency, scalability and high accuracy particularly with large datasets. It uses decision trees that grow efficiently by minimizing memory usage and optimizing training time. Key innovations like Gradient-based One-Side Sampling (GOSS), histogram-based algorithms and leaf-wise tree growth enable LightGBM to outperform other frameworks in both speed and accuracy.


Prerequisites

  • Supervised Machine Learning
  • Ensemble Learning
  • Gradient Boosting
  • Tree Based Machine Learning Algorithms

LightGBM installations

Setting up LightGBM involves installing necessary dependencies like CMake and compilers, cloning the repository and building the framework. Once the framework is set up the Python package can be installed using pip to start utilizing LightGBM.

  • How to Install LightGBM on Windows?
  • How to Install LightGBM on Linux?
  • How to Install LightGBM on MacOS?

LightGBM Data Structure

LightGBM Data Structure API refers to the set of functions and methods provided by the framework for handling and manipulating data structures within the context of machine learning tasks. This API includes functions for creating datasets, loading data from different sources, preprocessing features and converting data into formats suitable for training models with LightGBM. It allows users to interact with data efficiently and seamlessly integrate it into the machine learning workflow.

For more details you can refer to: LightGBM Data Structure

LightGBM Core Parameters

LightGBM’s performance is heavily influenced by the core parameters that control the structure and optimization of the model. Below are some of the key parameters:

  1. objective: Specifies the loss function to optimize during training. LightGBM supports various objectives such as regression, binary classification and multiclass classification.
  2. task: It specifies the task we wish to perform which is either train or prediction. The default entry is train.
  3. num_leaves: Specifies the maximum number of leaves in each tree. Higher values allow the model to capture more complex patterns but may lead to overfitting.
  4. learning_rate: Determines the step size at each iteration during gradient descent. Lower values result in slower learning but may improve generalization.
  5. max_depth: Sets the maximum depth of each tree.
  6. min_data_in_leaf: Specifies the minimum number of data points required to form a leaf node. Higher values help prevent overfitting but may result in underfitting.
  7. num_iterations: It specifies the number of iterations to be performed. The default value is 100.
  8. feature_fraction: Controls the fraction of features to consider when building each tree. Randomly selecting a subset of features helps improve model diversity and reduce overfitting.
  9. bagging_fraction: Specifies the fraction of data to be used for bagging (sampling data points with replacement) during training.
  10. L1 and L2: Regularization parameters that control L1 and L2 regularization respectively. They penalize large coefficients to prevent overfitting.
  11. min_split_gain: Specifies the minimum gain required to split a node further. It helps control the tree's growth and prevents unnecessary splits.
  12. categorical_feature : It specifies the categorical feature used for training model.

One who want to study about the applications of these parameters in details they can follow the below article.

  • LightGBM Tree Parameters
  • LightGBM Feature Parameters

LightGBM Tree

A LightGBM tree is a decision tree structure used to predict outcomes. These trees are grown recursively in a leaf-wise manner, maximizing reduction in loss at each step. Key features of LightGBM trees include:

  • LightGBM Leaf-wise tree growth strategy
  • LightGBM Gradient-Based Strategy
  • LightGBM Histogram-Based Learning
  • Handling categorical features efficiently using LightGBM

LightGBM Boosting Algorithms

LightGBM Boosting Algorithms uses:

  • Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (GBDT): builds decision trees sequentially to correct errors iteratively.
  • Gradient-based One-Side Sampling (GOSS): samples instances with large gradients, optimizing efficiency.
  • Exclusive Feature Bundling (EFB): bundles exclusive features to reduce overfitting.
  • Dropouts meet Multiple Additive Regression Trees (DART): introduces dropout regularization to improve model robustness by training an ensemble of diverse models.

These algorithms balance speed, memory usage and accuracy.

LightGBM Examples

  • LightGBM Regression Examples
  • LightGBM Binary Classifications Example
  • LightGBM Multiclass Classifications Example
  • Time Series Using LightGBM
  • LightGBM for Quantile regression

Training and Evaluation in LightGBM

Training in LightGBM involves fitting a gradient boosting model to a dataset. During training, the model iteratively builds decision trees to minimize a specified loss function, adjusting tree parameters to optimize model performance. Evaluation assesses the trained model's performance using metrics such as mean squared error for regression tasks or accuracy for classification tasks. Cross-validation techniques may be employed to validate model performance on unseen data and prevent overfitting.

  • Train a model using LightGBM
  • Cross-validation and hyperparameter tuning
  • LightGBM evaluation metrics

LightGBM Hyperparameters Tuning

LightGBM hyperparameter tuning involves optimizing the settings that govern the behavior and performance of the model during training. Techniques like grid search, random search and Bayesian optimization can be used to find the optimal set of hyperparameters for your model.

  • LightGBM key Hyperparameters
  • LightGBM Regularization parameters
  • LightGBM Learning Control Parameters

LightGBM Parallel and GPU Training

LightGBM supports parallel processing and GPU acceleration which greatly enhances training speed particularly for large-scale datasets. It allows the use of multiple CPU cores or GPUs making it highly scalable.

LightGBM Feature Importance and Visualization

Understanding which features contribute most to your model's predictions is key. Feature importance can be visualized using techniques like SHAP values (SHapley Additive exPlanations) which provide a unified measure of feature importance. This helps in interpreting the model and guiding future feature engineering efforts.

  • LightGBM Feature Importance and Visualization
  • SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values for interpretability

Advantages of the LightGBM

LightGBM offers several key benefits:

  • Faster speed and higher accuracy: It outperforms other gradient boosting algorithms on large datasets.
  • Low memory usage: Optimized for memory efficiency and handling large datasets with minimal overhead.
  • Parallel and GPU learning support: Takes advantage of multiple cores or GPUs for faster training.
  • Effective on large datasets: Its optimized techniques such as leaf-wise growth and histogram-based learning make it suitable for big data applications.

LightGBM vs Other Boosting Algorithms

A comparison between LightGBM and other boosting algorithms such as Gradient Boosting, AdaBoost, XGBoost and CatBoost highlights:

  • LightGBM vs XGBOOST
  • GradientBoosting vs AdaBoost vs XGBoost vs CatBoost vs LightGBM

LightGBM is an outstanding choice for solving supervised learning tasks particularly for classification, regression and ranking problems. Its unique algorithms, efficient memory usage and support for parallel and GPU training give it a distinct advantage over other gradient boosting methods.


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Stacking in Machine Learning

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Article Tags :
  • Computer Subject
  • Machine Learning
  • AI-ML-DS
  • LightGBM
  • AI-ML-DS With Python
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