The more important aim of this conversion is that now the minima of the term in the exponent, K(w), are equal to 0. If we manage to find a way to express K(w) as a polynomial, this lets us to pull in the powerful machinery of algebraic geometry, which studies the zeros of polynomials. We've turned our problem of probability theory and statistics into a problem of algebra and geometry.
Wait... but K(w) just isn't a polynomial most of the time. Right? From its definition above, K(w) differs by a constant from the log-likelihood&n... (read more)
Wait... but K(w) just isn't a polynomial most of the time. Right? From its definition above, K(w) differs by a constant from the log-likelihood&n... (read more)