Data Science is the field of using scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data.
Why Learn Data Science?
- Helps solve complex problems
- Drives business decisions
- Applications across various industries (healthcare, finance, marketing, etc.)
Example:
- Real-world Example: Analyzing sales data to predict future sales and optimize inventory.
2. Python for Data Science
Introduction to Python
Python is one of the most popular programming languages in Data Science due to its simplicity and powerful libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
Python Syntax
Here’s a basic example of Python syntax:
# This is a comment x = 5 # Assigning value 5 to variable x print(x) # Output the value of x
3. Data Collection
What is Data Collection?
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on variables of interest, in a systematic and organized manner.
Collecting Data from APIs:
You can use Python to collect data from APIs using the requests
library.
import requests response = requests.get('https://api.example.com/data') data = response.json() print(data)
4. Data Cleaning
What is Data Cleaning?
Data cleaning is the process of correcting or removing inaccurate records from a dataset. It’s a critical part of preparing data for analysis.
Handling Missing Data:
You can use the Pandas library to handle missing data by either removing or filling the missing values.
import pandas as pd # Example DataFrame df = pd.DataFrame({'A': [1, 2, None, 4]}) # Fill missing values with 0 df['A'] = df['A'].fillna(0) print(df)
5. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
What is EDA?
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is used to analyze and summarize datasets to understand their main characteristics.
Visualizing Data:
You can use Matplotlib to visualize your data.
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Sample data data = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] plt.plot(data) plt.title("Simple Line Plot") plt.show()
6. Machine Learning Basics
Introduction to Machine Learning
Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that allows systems to learn from data and make decisions without being explicitly programmed.
Linear Regression Example:
Linear regression is a statistical method used to model the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.
from sklearn.linear_model import LinearRegression import numpy as np # Example data X = np.array([[1], [2], [3], [4]]) # Independent variable y = np.array([5, 7, 9, 11]) # Dependent variable model = LinearRegression() model.fit(X, y) predictions = model.predict([[5]]) print(predictions)
7. Model Evaluation
Evaluating a Model
Evaluating a model helps you understand how well it is performing. Common metrics for evaluation include accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score.
from sklearn.metrics import mean_squared_error # Example predictions and true values true_values = [5, 7, 9, 11] predictions = [5.1, 6.9, 9.1, 10.8] mse = mean_squared_error(true_values, predictions) print(f"Mean Squared Error: {mse}")
8. Data Science Projects
Building Your First Data Science Project
Create a simple project by following these steps:
- Define the problem.
- Collect and clean the data.
- Apply an appropriate model.
- Evaluate the model.
- Share results with others.
Example: Predicting house prices based on features like square footage, number of rooms, etc.