What is multi-class classification and how is it different from binary classification?
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
Multi-class classification predicts more than two classes, while binary classification predicts two classes.
Deep explanation
Binary classification deals with two labels (0/1), while multi-class classification handles multiple categories. Algorithms handle multi-class problems using strategies like One-vs-Rest or Softmax-based models. Evaluation metrics must also be adapted accordingly.
Real-world example
Handwritten digit recognition (0–9 digits).
Common mistakes
- Using binary evaluation metrics for multi-class problems.
Follow-up questions
- What is One-vs-Rest strategy?
- What is softmax regression?