
This article focuses on machine learning approaches to pattern recognition. The field of pattern recognition is concerned with the automatic discovery of regularities in data through the use of computer algorithms and with the use of these regularities to take actions such as classifying the data into different categories.

A modern definition of pattern recognition is: However, these are distinguished: machine learning is one approach to pattern recognition, while other approaches include hand-crafted (not learned) rules or heuristics and pattern recognition is one approach to artificial intelligence, while other approaches include symbolic artificial intelligence. Pattern recognition is closely related to artificial intelligence and machine learning, together with applications such as data mining and knowledge discovery in databases (KDD), and is often used interchangeably with these terms. Pattern recognition is the automated recognition of patterns and regularities in data.
