A prediction model based on least square support vector machine (LSSVM) is developed to model and prediction hot metal silicon content in a blast furnace,the optimal set of the LSSVM model parameters is selected by using genetic algorithm. Estimation experiment is conducted based on the data obtained from a blast furnace past operation records in a steel tube plant and being preprocessed in several different'ways.The experimental results show that the proposed meth- ods yielded more accurate predictions than ...