Pruning (decision trees)

Imagine you have a big toy tree with many branches, and you want to make it look shorter and simpler so it's easier to play with. Pruning a decision tree is kind of like doing that!

A decision tree is a mathematical tool that helps people make decisions based on different factors. It looks like a tree because it has one main "trunk," but then it branches out into different "leaves" that represent different choices or outcomes.

But sometimes decision trees can get too big and messy, with too many branches that don't really matter. Pruning the tree means cutting off some of those branches so the tree is not as big and complicated, but still gives us good information.

In practical terms, pruning a decision tree means removing branches that don't have a big impact on the final decision or outcome. It's like trimming off the smaller branches that don't really add anything to the overall look of the tree. This makes the tree simpler and easier to understand.

But be careful! Just like with the toy tree, if you prune too much, you might end up cutting off important branches that really do matter. So you have to be strategic and make sure you're only pruning what's necessary to make the tree easier to use.