XGBoost

XGBoost was created in 2014 by Tianqi Chen as part of the Distributed (Deep) Machine Learning Community (DMLC) project. It was developed to improve the speed and performance of gradient boosting algorithms, addressing the need for a more efficient and scalable solution in machine learning competitions and real-world applications.

Strengths of XGBoost include high performance, scalability, and flexibility. It handles missing data well and provides extensive customization options. Weaknesses include complexity in tuning hyperparameters and potential overfitting if not carefully managed. Competitors include LightGBM, CatBoost, and Scikit-learn's Gradient Boosting.

An XGBoost expert must have strong skills in Python or R programming, proficiency in data preprocessing and feature engineering, and a deep understanding of gradient boosting algorithms. They should also be adept at hyperparameter tuning, model evaluation techniques, and using libraries like NumPy and Pandas for data manipulation.