Big Data: How Data Analytics Is Transforming the World

Overview

Investigate the information revolution—which is changing everything from marketing to medical care—and learn how to put big data to use in your business and personal life.

In our age of accelerating progress in so many fields, it’s easy to lose sight of the underlying innovation that makes the data analytics revolution possible. These 24 lectures introduce you to the key concepts, methods, and accomplishments of this versatile approach to problem solving. You need no expertise in mathematics to follow this exciting story. Tim Chartier, professor of mathematics and computer science, explains the basic computational techniques used in data analytics, but his focus is on how these ideas are applied and the amazing results they achieve. His case histories make these lectures both accessible and entertaining. He takes you behind the scenes to review many examples of data analysis in action, including the pitfalls and potential of Internet traffic analysis, algorithms that aim to predict what customers want, some of the best defenses for keeping your personal data private, how methods for filling out March Madness game brackets can be applied to other problems, and much more. Professor Chartier is a champion of the fun, challenge, and breathtaking power of mathematics—qualities that are accessible with data analytics. And with his enjoyable lectures, you’ll discover concepts and tools that are transforming the world—and that you can use to transform your own life. It’s like watching a thrilling spectator sport that invites you to suit up and join the action!

Course Structure

01: Data Analytics-What’s the “Big” Idea?

Sample the tremendous scope and power of data analytics, which is transforming science, business, medicine, public policy, and many other spheres of modern life. Investigate why this revolution is happening now, and look at some common misconceptions about data analysis.

Duration: 36 min

02: Got Data? What Are You Wondering About?

Data analysis is not just for large organizations and large datasets; it’s also for the average person. Learn how to put data to work in your own life—from charting your cell phone usage to personalizing your medical care or improving your exercise routine.

Duration: 32 min

03: A Mindset for Mastering the Data Deluge

Today’s data users often feel like they’re drinking from a fire hose of information. Investigate strategies that help manage the data deluge, and learn efficient ways to think about data that separate what’s genuinely useful from what can be strategically ignored.

Duration: 32 min

04: Looking for Patterns-and Causes

Humans are experts at pattern recognition, which is a key skill in data analysis. But when are patterns real and when are they imagined? Study some surprising correlations between apparently unrelated phenomena, asking whether there is a cause-and-effect relation or mere coincidence involved.

Duration: 29 min

05: Algorithms-Managing Complexity

Algorithms—rules to follow for solving problems—are the secret of managing huge datasets. Start by looking at simple algorithms, including an amazingly effective sorting procedure that you can perform by hand. Then see how these concepts apply to more complex problems, such as web search engines.

Duration: 31 min

06: The Cycle of Data Management

Study what happens after you gather data. It must first be stored, then organized, integrated with data from other sources, and analyzed. Now you are ready to act on the information that the data provides. Determine how this cycle works in practice, and uncover some hidden pitfalls.

Duration: 29 min

07: Getting Graphic and Seeing the Data

Graphics have long been a compelling way to present and understand data. Survey some unusually effective graphics from the pre-computer era. Then explore the wealth of graphical tools available today. Graphics can reveal new information, but they can also obscure it when used poorly.

Duration: 28 min

08: Preparing Data Is Training for Success

“Garbage in, garbage out” is a famous expression in computer science, underscoring the importance of starting with reliable data. Learn how data is prepared to remove errors and ambiguities. As an example, see how the US Postal Service perfected machines that can read hastily scribbled addresses.

Duration: 30 min

09: How New Statistics Transform Sports

Follow the saga of the 2002 Oakland A’s, famously depicted in the book and film Moneyball. Thanks to data analytics, the A’s made it to the major league playoffs with a roster of undervalued players. Survey the increasing role of data at all levels of sports competition.

Duration: 33 min

10: Political Polls-How Weighted Averaging Wins

Study the role of big data in predicting election results. Contrast the disastrous 1936 presidential poll by the Literary Digest with today’s impressively accurate aggregators of polls, such as statistician Nate Silver. Analyze what makes aggregation more effective than any single poll.

Duration: 32 min

11: When Life Is (Almost) Linear-Regression

Explore the power of regression analysis for modeling the past and future, focusing on a technique called the linear least squares method. As an example, use data from Olympic gold medal times for the 100-meter dash. Calculate a theoretical fastest possible time for the event.

Duration: 30 min

12: Training Computers to Think like Humans

Delve into the field of artificial intelligence, discovering how computers are programmed to think and make decisions like humans. An automated version of the 20 questions game illustrates how neural networks are the key to machine learning—a technology that is now in widespread use.

Duration: 31 min

13: Anomalies and Breaking Trends

Sometimes it is the odd bit of data—the outlier in a sea of statistics—that is crucial to solving a mystery. See how sophisticated anomaly detection has led to a significant drop in credit card fraud. The same approach helps understand cultural trends that go viral.

Duration: 32 min

14: Simulation-Beyond Data, Beyond Equations

Enter the world of simulation, which allows researchers to model behavior that would otherwise be too dangerous or expensive to study. Investigate the history of the subject and its multiplying applications—from science and engineering to entertainment.

Duration: 30 min

15: Overfitting-Too Good to Be Truly Useful

Learn how to avoid the perils of overfitting, which is when an overly complex model or noisy data leads to flawed conclusions. Explore object lessons in this common pitfall, including an earthquake forecast that was disastrously wrong.

Duration: 31 min

16: Bracketology-The Math of March Madness

Every year, millions of people engage in a hugely popular data exercise called March Madness. See how a mathematical approach called bracketology helps you excel at picking winners in the playoff games of the NCAA basketball tournament.

Duration: 31 min

17: Quantifying Quality on the World Wide Web

Internet searches used to be frustratingly hit-or-miss. See how Google changed that by creating a realistic model of the way web surfers use the Internet. Then look at attempts to hijack search results to improve page rankings and how programmers thwart these tactics.

Duration: 30 min

18: Watching Words-Sentiment and Text Analysis

We are nearing the point where every book ever written is accessible and searchable in digital form—as already exists for the even more voluminous texts from Twitter, Facebook, and other media. Learn how data analysts mine this limitless storehouse of words for new cultural and business insights.

Duration: 34 min

19: Data Compression and Recommendation Systems

Data compression is crucial for storing and transmitting digital images at a fraction of their original size. See how compression also improves online recommendations, as shown by the Netflix million dollar competition, which led to a new algorithm for personalized recommendations.

Duration: 33 min

20: Decision Trees-Jump-Start an Analysis

Probe the power of decision trees by breaking down the demographics of survivors of the Titanic disaster, an analysis that tells the tragic story of events aboard the sinking ship. Then test decision trees in other applications, marveling at their ability to carve quickly through data.

Duration: 31 min

21: Clustering-The Many Ways to Create Groups

Clustering is a powerful way to discover new relationships in data by sorting it into groups, called clusters. Explore this family of techniques by searching for clusters in the Million Song Dataset. Then try other examples that show the exceptional flexibility of clustering.

Duration: 32 min

22: Degrees of Separation and Social Networks

Test the popular theory that six steps, at most, connect you to any person on the planet. Social networks like Facebook provide a wealth of data for quantifying our relative connectedness. See how graph theory helps you to visualize any linked phenomena.

Duration: 31 min

23: Challenges of Privacy and Security

Big data can be a big threat to privacy. Learn how surveillance cameras, smartphones, and Internet use provide a wealth of opportunities for tracking specific individuals. Examine privacy issues raised by corporate and government activity, and review what you can do to lead a more secure life.

Duration: 33 min

24: Getting Analytical about the Future

Focus on a branch of data analytics called predictive analytics, concerned with predicting the future. Imagine attending such a conference years from now. What can you expect? Answer the question with the tools you have learned in the course, and come up with some surprising forecasts!