Indicator columns keep the replacement visible to later methods.

highlighted = computed this step

Add age_missing

Row B had a missing age, so age_missing is 1 for B. Rows with observed age get 0.

Bage missing=1B_{\text{age missing}}=1
Missing Values ExactlyExact missing-cell replacements from a pinned policy.explicit missing-value policyrowage rawcolor rawage filledcolor filledage_missingcolor_missingA2red2red00B?blue6blue10C6?6red01D10red10red00age mean: (2+6+10)/3 = 6color mode: red count 2, blue count 1add missingness indicatorsexplicit preprocessing policy for displayed missing cellsnumeric uses observed mean; categorical uses observed modemissingness indicators stay visibleNOT training; NOT learning; NOT generalizationNOT accuracy; NOT calibration; NOT a guarantee of model qualityNOT probability truth

Add color_missing

Row C had a missing color, so color_missing is 1 for C. Rows with observed color get 0.

Ccolor missing=1C_{\text{color missing}}=1
Missing Values ExactlyExact missing-cell replacements from a pinned policy.explicit missing-value policyrowage rawcolor rawage filledcolor filledage_missingcolor_missingA2red2red00B?blue6blue10C6?6red01D10red10red00age mean: (2+6+10)/3 = 6color mode: red count 2, blue count 1add missingness indicatorsexplicit preprocessing policy for displayed missing cellsnumeric uses observed mean; categorical uses observed modemissingness indicators stay visibleNOT training; NOT learning; NOT generalizationNOT accuracy; NOT calibration; NOT a guarantee of model qualityNOT probability truth

The indicator keeps the missingness visible

The filled value and the missingness indicator are both present. The replacement is not silently erased.

filled value+missingness indicator\text{filled value}+\text{missingness indicator}
Missing Values ExactlyExact missing-cell replacements from a pinned policy.explicit missing-value policyrowage rawcolor rawage filledcolor filledage_missingcolor_missingA2red2red00B?blue6blue10C6?6red01D10red10red00age mean: (2+6+10)/3 = 6color mode: red count 2, blue count 1add missingness indicatorsexplicit preprocessing policy for displayed missing cellsnumeric uses observed mean; categorical uses observed modemissingness indicators stay visibleNOT training; NOT learning; NOT generalizationNOT accuracy; NOT calibration; NOT a guarantee of model qualityNOT probability truth