Answer
Convert categories to numeric using encoding.
One-hot for nominal, label encoding for ordinal.
Required for ML algorithms.
One-hot for nominal, label encoding for ordinal.
Required for ML algorithms.
Quick Answer
Handle categorical data: pandas Categorical type for memory efficiency. One-hot encoding: pd.get_dummies(df["col"]) or scikit-learn OneHotEncoder. Label encoding: LabelEncoder for ordinal data with natural order. Ordinal encoding: OrdinalEncoder when order matters. Target encoding for high-cardinality categoricals. Always encode test data using fit from training data to prevent data leakage.
S
SugharaIQ Editorial Team
Verified Answer
This answer has been peer-reviewed by industry experts holding senior engineering roles to ensure technical accuracy and relevance for modern interview standards.
Want to bookmark, take notes, or join discussions?
Sign in to access all features and personalize your learning experience.
Source: SugharaIQ