BookS David J. Blower Ph.D
DAVID JOHN BLOWER, 70, passed away suddenly on February 26, 2018. David was born May 12, 1947 in Akron, Ohio, the eldest child of Basil and Jean Blower. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Psychology. He then enlisted in the US Army, spending...
What is your model?: A Bayesian tutorial
This accessible book teaches readers how to perform data science through examples and figures. The inner workings of linear regression, non-linear models and Monte Carlo methods are illustrated. The art and craft of data science is demonstrated. The approach is a...
Data analysis a Bayesian tutorial
Book review Data analysis a Bayesian tutorial The second edition of this book is written by Devinder Sivia (chapters 1 through 8) with John Skilling (chapters 9 and 10). The book gives a concise (in 250 pages), but full description of Bayesian data analysis. I know...
PRML
Boek review Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning is often the first book I consult when I need to know something about a data subject. It is written by Christopher Bishop in a clear, smooth style. It is completely...
How smart am I?
What is my IQ? I once participated in an IQ test and scored 120 points. As a data scientist I wonder: What is my real IQ? Because this is only one test. According to Wikipedia, the accuracy of the IQ test is about 3 points. So my real IQ will be somewhere...
the Bayesian approach
Use everything you know You cannot do inference without making assumptions - Sir David MacKay (1967 – 2016) In What is your Model the following question was asked: How much do you earn tomorrow if you have earned €200 today? And yesterday €100, €200 the day before and...
What is your model?
The best fit is not the best model How much do you expect to earn tomorrow if you have earned today € 200? And yesterday € 100, the day before € 200, and three days ago € 100? These are your data and they are shown as the four orange dots. To predict you...
Matching demand and supply
An application of Simulated Annealing My wife has a perennial problem. Working at a university every year she has to assign some 200 students to 20 thesis supervisors. With Excel as her only tool and many matchings, an unthankful task. Time for...
Waiting for Uber
In Amsterdam, on average, you are picked up within 3.5 minutes. According to Uber, though it adds the disclaimer The pick-up time may vary due to traffic or other circumstances. Now, how long in advance should you book your ride? You could...
The inevitable uncertainty
Uncertainty is everywhere. A key concept in data analysis is that of uncertainty. It arises both through the noise in the measurements, as well as through the finite size of data sets. Probability theory provides a consistent framework to...