A tour of some important data science techniques
Method in the Madness
Data science is all about gaining insights from mountains of data. We tour some important tools for the trade.
Data is the new oil, and data science is the new refinery. Increasing volumes of data are being collected, by websites, retail chains, and heavy industry, and that data is available to data scientists. Their task is to gain new insights from this data while automating processes and helping people make decisions [1]. The details for how they coax real, usable knowledge from these mountains of data can vary greatly depending on the business and the nature of the information. But many of the mathematical tools they use are quite independent of the data type. This article introduces you to some of the methods data scientists use to squeeze insights from a sea of numbers.
More than Just Modeling
The term data scientist evokes associations with math nerds, but data science consists of far more than building and optimizing models. First and foremost, it involves understanding a problem and its context.
For example, imagine a bank wants to use an algorithm to predict the probability that a borrower will be able to repay a loan. A data scientist will first want to understand how lending has worked so far and what data has been collected in this field – as well as whether that data is actually available – with a view to data protection requirements. In addition, data scientists need to be able to communicate their findings. Storytelling is more useful than presenting infinite rows of numbers, because the audience is likely to be made up of non-mathematicians. The need to clearly explain the findings frequently presents a challenge for less extroverted data scientists.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.
-
Fedora 41 Beta Available with Some Interesting Additions
If you're a Fedora fan, you'll be excited to hear the beta version of the latest release is now available for testing and includes plenty of updates.
-
AlmaLinux Unveils New Hardware Certification Process
The AlmaLinux Hardware Certification Program run by the Certification Special Interest Group (SIG) aims to ensure seamless compatibility between AlmaLinux and a wide range of hardware configurations.
-
Wind River Introduces eLxr Pro Linux Solution
eLxr Pro offers an end-to-end Linux solution backed by expert commercial support.