svmtrain function in matlab never exits ... do alternatives exist?

Question

I am trying to learn how to use support vector machines in matlab. I have the bioinformatics toolbox, which has SVM functions svmtrain and svmclassify.

I managed to successfully use it for some reference data sets, with some nice accuracy. When I try to use the svm on my actual data the training never stops. My data set is 400 instances in 25 dimensions, so it should not take very long?!

Can I use other solvers in matlab? I dont want to buy new toolbox please ...

Answer 1

There are several things that may cause problems for training, but it should not run infinitely. Do you get any errors when using the solver?

With regard to alternatives: LIBSVM has an interface to matlab. This is a state-of-the-art library with thousands of users. I highly recommend it, because it is easy to install/use and offers additional functionality for parameter tuning and more.