One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks with Feature Selection for Highly Concise Rule Extraction from Credit Scoring Datasets with Heterogeneous Attributes

Convolution neural networks (CNNs) have proven effectiveness, but they are not applicable to all datasets, such as those with heterogeneous attributes, which are often used in the finance and banking industries. Such datasets are difficult to classify, and to date, existing high-accuracy classifiers and rule-extraction methods have not been able to achieve sufficiently high classification accuracies or concise classification rules. This study aims to provide a new approach for achieving transparency and conciseness in credit scoring datasets with heterogeneous attributes by using a one-dimensional (1D) fully-connected layer first CNN combined with the Recursive-Rule Extraction (Re-RX) algorithm with a J48graft decision tree (hereafter 1D FCLF-CNN). Based on a comparison between the proposed 1D FCLF-CNN and existing rule extraction methods, our architecture enabled the extraction of the most concise rules (6.2) and achieved the best accuracy (73.10%), i.e., the highest interpretability–priority rule extraction. These results suggest that the 1D FCLF-CNN with Re-RX with J48graft is very effective for extracting highly concise rules for heterogeneous credit scoring datasets. Although it does not completely overcome the accuracy–interpretability dilemma for deep learning, it does appear to resolve this issue for credit scoring datasets with heterogeneous attributes, and thus, could lead to a new era in the financial industry.

Recursive-Rule Extraction Algorithm With J48graft And Applications To Generating Credit Scores

The purpose of this study was to generate more concise rule extraction from the Recursive-Rule Extraction (Re-RX) algorithm by replacing the C4.5 program currently employed in Re-RX with the J48graft algorithm. Experiments were subsequently conducted to determine rules for six different two-class mixed datasets having discrete and continuous attributes and to compare the resulting accuracy, comprehensibility and conciseness. When working with the CARD1, CARD2, CARD3, German, Bene1 and Bene2 datasets, Re-RX with J48graft provided more concise rules than the original Re-RX algorithm. The use of Re-RX with J48graft resulted in 43.2%, 37% and 21% reductions in rules in the case of the German, Bene1 and Bene2 datasets compared to Re-RX. Furthermore, the Re-RX with J48graft showed 8.87% better accuracy than the Re-RX algorithm for the German dataset. These results confirm that the application of Re-RX in conjunction with J48graft has the capacity to facilitate migration from existing data systems toward new concise analytic systems and Big Data.