Given the unprecedented availability of data and computing resources, there
is widespread renewed interest in applying data-driven machine learning methods
to problems for which the development of conventional engineering solutions is
challenged by modelling or algorithmic deficiencies. This tutorial-style paper
starts by addressing the questions of why and when such techniques can be
useful. It then provides a high-level introduction to the basics of supervised
and unsupervised learning. For both supervised and unsupervised learning,
exemplifying applications to communication networks are discussed by
distinguishing tasks carried out at the edge and at the cloud segments of the
network at different layers of the protocol stack
