1. A method for training a learning machine for use in discriminative classification and regression, the method comprising the steps of: randomly selecting, in a first computer process, an unclassified datapoint associated with a phenomenon of interest; determining, in a second computer process, a set of datapoints associated with the phenomenon of interest that is likely to be in the same class as the selected unclassified datapoint; predicting, in a third computer process, a class label for the selected unclassified datapoint in a third computer process; predicting a class label for the set of datapoints in a fourth computer process; combining the predicted class labels in a fifth computer process, to predict a composite class label that describes the selected unclassified datapoint and the set of datapoints; and using the combined class label to adjust at least one parameter of the learning machine in a sixth computer process.