Efficient instance-based learning on data streams

The processing of data streams in general and the mining of such streams in particular have recently attracted considerable attention in various research fields. A key problem in stream mining is to extend existing machine learning and data mining methods so as to meet the increased requirements imposed by the data stream scenario, including the ability to analyze incoming data in an online, incremental manner, to observe tight time and memory constraints, and to appropriately respond to changes of the data characteristics and underlying distributions, amongst others. This paper considers the problem of classification on data streams and develops an instance-based learning algorithm for that purpose. The experimental studies presented in the paper suggest that this algorithm has a number of desirable properties that are not, at least not as a whole, shared by currently existing alternatives. Notably, our method is very flexible and thus able to adapt to an evolving environment quickly, a point of utmost importance in the data stream context. At the same time, the algorithm is relatively robust and thus applicable to streams with different characteristics.