decision_tree: Decision trees

In parsnip: A Common API to Modeling and Analysis Functions

Decision trees

Description

decision_tree() defines a model as a set of ⁠if/then⁠ statements that creates a tree-based structure. This function can fit classification, regression, and censored regression models.

\Sexpr[stage=render,results=rd]{parsnip:::make_engine_list("decision_tree")}

More information on how parsnip is used for modeling is at https://www.tidymodels.org/.

Usage

decision_tree(
  mode = "unknown",
  engine = "rpart",
  cost_complexity = NULL,
  tree_depth = NULL,
  min_n = NULL
)

Arguments

mode	A single character string for the prediction outcome mode. Possible values for this model are "unknown", "regression", "classification", or "censored regression".
engine	A single character string specifying what computational engine to use for fitting.
cost_complexity	A positive number for the the cost/complexity parameter (a.k.a. Cp) used by CART models (specific engines only).
tree_depth	An integer for maximum depth of the tree.
min_n	An integer for the minimum number of data points in a node that are required for the node to be split further.

Details

This function only defines what type of model is being fit. Once an engine is specified, the method to fit the model is also defined. See set_engine() for more on setting the engine, including how to set engine arguments.

The model is not trained or fit until the fit() function is used with the data.

Each of the arguments in this function other than mode and engine are captured as quosures. To pass values programmatically, use the injection operator like so:

value <- 1
decision_tree(argument = !!value)

References

https://www.tidymodels.org, Tidy Modeling with R, searchable table of parsnip models

See Also

\Sexpr[stage=render,results=rd]{parsnip:::make_seealso_list("decision_tree")}

Examples

show_engines("decision_tree")

decision_tree(mode = "classification", tree_depth = 5)

parsnip documentation built on June 8, 2025, 12:10 p.m.