Description

In our present world of automation, cloud computing, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and big data, few topics are as relevant as data science and machine learning. Their recent popularity lies not only in their applicability to real-life questions, but also in their natural blending of many different disciplines, including mathematics, statistics, computer science,
engineering, science, and finance.

To someone starting to learn these topics, the multitude of computational techniques and mathematical ideas may seem overwhelming. Some may be satisfied with only learning how to use off-the-shelf recipes to apply to practical situations. But what if the assumptions of the black-box recipe are violated? Can we still trust the results? How should the algorithm be adapted? To be able to truly understand data science and machine learning it is important to appreciate the underlying mathematics and statistics, as well as the resulting algorithms.

The purpose of this book is to provide an accessible, yet comprehensive, account of data science and machine learning. It is intended for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the mathematics and statistics that underpin the rich variety of ideas and machine learning algorithms in data science. Our viewpoint is that computer languages come and go, but the underlying key ideas and algorithms will remain forever and will form the basis for future developments