Yandex opens up its MatrixNet machine learning tech to CERN, aiming to improve search for all its users

Russian Internet giant Yandex is today announcing an expansion of its partnership with European nuclear research organization, CERN. The agreement will allow CERN’s physicists to filter large datasets to find extremely rare events, using machine learning technology.

CERN will be using MatrixNet, Yandex’s search technology that ‘learns’ to improve search results based on a wide range of dynamic factors related to the Web pages that match any particular query.

Yandex began its partnership with CERN in 2011 by offering computing resources to the research organization. In April last year, it launched a search tool for use with Large Hadron Collider data. Yandex currently needs to provide staff to assist CERN with its use. However, development of a user-friendly interface that will allow the physicists to use it by themselves is under way.

Although CERN is currently using MatrixNet to work with data from the Large Hadron Collider, specifically B-meson decay analysis (it’s okay if you don’t know what that is, although Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory would probably mock you), Yandex says that the deal will help improve MatrixNet’s quality for all its users thanks to the experience of working with the vast data sets generated by Large Hadron Collider research.

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