Course Description

The goal of Math 80 is to teach students data science as a way of thinking. The course combines three perspectives: inferential thinking, computational thinking, and real-world relevance. Given data arising from some real-world phenomenon, how does one analyze that data so as to understand that phenomenon? The course teaches critical concepts and skills in computer programming and statistical inference, in conjunction with hands-on analysis of real-world datasets, including economic data, document collections, geographical data, and social networks. It delves into social issues surrounding data analysis such as privacy and design. As a byproduct, it is also meant to teach students some basic Python programming language syntax, and how to apply it to solve problems.