This book introduces multidimensional scaling (MDS) and unfolding as data analysis techniques for applied researchers. MDS is used for the analysis of proximity data on a set of objects, representing the data as distances between points in a geometric space (usually of two dimensions). Unfolding is a related method that maps preference data (typically evaluative ratings of different persons on a set of objects) as distances between two sets of points (representing the persons and the objects, resp.). This second edition has been completely revised to reflect new developments and the coverage of unfolding has also been substantially expanded. Intended for applied researchers whose main interests are in using these methods as tools for building substantive theories, it discusses numerous applications (classical and recent), highlights practical issues (such as evaluating model fit), presents ways to enforce theoretical expectations for the scaling solutions, and addresses the typical mistakes that MDS/unfolding users tend to make. Further, it shows how MDS and unfolding can be used in practical research work, primarily by using the smacof package in the R environment but also Proxscal in SPSS. It is a valuable resource for psychologists, social scientists, and market researchers, with a basic understanding of multivariate statistics (such as multiple regression and factor analysis).

This textbook provides a step-by-step introduction to the class of vine copulas, their statistical inference and applications. It focuses on statistical estimation and selection methods for vine copulas in data applications. These flexible copula models can successfully accommodate any form of tail dependence and are vital to many applications in finance, insurance, hydrology, marketing, engineering, chemistry, aviation, climatology and health. The book explains the pair-copula construction principles underlying these statistical models and discusses how to perform model selection and inference. It also derives simulation algorithms and presents real-world examples to illustrate the methodological concepts. The book includes numerous exercises that facilitate and deepen readers' understanding, and demonstrates how the R package VineCopula can be used to explore and build statistical dependence models from scratch. In closing, the book provides insights into recent developments and open research questions in vine copula based modeling. The book is intended for students as well as statisticians, data analysts and any other quantitatively oriented researchers who are new to the field of vine copulas. Accordingly, it provides the necessary background in multivariate statistics and copula theory for exploratory data tools, so that readers only need a basic grasp of statistics and probability.

Modelling Survival Data in Medical Research, Fourth Edition describes the analysis of survival data, illustrated using a wide range of examples from biomedical research. Written in a non-technical style, it concentrates on how the techniques are used in practice. Starting with standard methods for summarising survival data, Cox regression and parametric modelling, the book covers many more advanced techniques, including interval-censoring, frailty modelling, competing risks, analysis of multiple events, and dependent censoring. This new edition contains chapters on Bayesian survival analysis and use of the R software. Earlier chapters have been extensively revised and expanded to add new material on several topics. These include methods for assessing the predictive ability of a model, joint models for longitudinal and survival data, and modern methods for the analysis of interval-censored survival data. Features: Presents an accessible account of a wide range of statistical methods for analysing survival data Contains practical guidance on modelling survival data from the author's many years of experience in teaching and consultancy Shows how Bayesian methods can be used to analyse survival data Includes details on how R can be used to carry out all the methods described, with guidance on the interpretation of the resulting output Contains many real data examples and additional data sets that can be used for coursework All data sets used are available in electronic format from the publisher's website Modelling Survival Data in Medical Research, Fourth Edition is an invaluable resource for statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry and biomedical research centres, research scientists and clinicians who are analysing their own data, and students following undergraduate or postgraduate courses in survival analysis.

This comprehensive and richly illustrated volume provides up-to-date material on Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA). SSA is a well-known methodology for the analysis and forecasting of time series. Since quite recently, SSA is also being used to analyze digital images and other objects that are not necessarily of planar or rectangular form and may contain gaps. SSA is multi-purpose and naturally combines both model-free and parametric techniques, which makes it a very special and attractive methodology for solving a wide range of problems arising in diverse areas, most notably those associated with time series and digital images. An effective, comfortable and accessible implementation of SSA is provided by the R-package Rssa, which is available from CRAN and reviewed in this book. Written by prominent statisticians who have extensive experience with SSA, the book (a) presents the up-to-date SSA methodology, including multidimensional extensions, in language accessible to a large circle of users, (b) combines different versions of SSA into a single tool, (c) shows the diverse tasks that SSA can be used for, (d) formally describes the main SSA methods and algorithms, and (e) provides tutorials on the Rssa package and the use of SSA. The book offers a valuable resource for a very wide readership, including professional statisticians, specialists in signal and image processing, as well as specialists in numerous applied disciplines interested in using statistical methods for time series analysis, forecasting, signal and image processing. The book is written on a level accessible to a broad audience and includes a wealth of examples; hence it can also be used as a textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on time series analysis and signal processing.

This easy-to-follow applied book on semiparametric regression methods using R is intended to close the gap between the available methodology and its use in practice. Semiparametric regression has a large literature but much of it is geared towards data analysts who have advanced knowledge of statistical methods. While R now has a great deal of semiparametric regression functionality, many of these developments have not trickled down to rank-and-file statistical analysts. The authors assemble a broad range of semiparametric regression R analyses and put them in a form that is useful for applied researchers. There are chapters devoted to penalized spines, generalized additive models, grouped data, bivariate extensions of penalized spines, and spatial semi-parametric regression models. Where feasible, the R code is provided in the text, however the book is also accompanied by an external website complete with datasets and R code. Because of its flexibility, semiparametric regression has proven to be of great value with many applications in fields as diverse as astronomy, biology, medicine, economics, and finance. This book is intended for applied statistical analysts who have some familiarity with R.

Recent advances in the understanding of star formation and evolution have been impressive and aspects of that knowledge are explored in this volume. The black hole stellar endpoints are studied and geodesic motion is explored. The emission of gravitational waves is featured due to their very recent experimental discovery.The second aspect of the text is space exploration which began 62 years ago with the Sputnik Earth satellite followed by the landing on the Moon just 50 years ago. Since then Mars has been explored remotely as well as flybys of the outer planets and probes which have escaped the solar system. The text explores many aspects of rocket travel. Finally possibilities for interstellar travel are discussed.All these topics are treated in a unified way using the Matlab App to combine text, figures, formulae and numeric input and output. In this way the reader may vary parameters and see the results in real time. That experience aids in building up an intuitive feel for the many specific problems given in this text.

This introductory textbook for business statistics teaches statistical analysis and research methods via business case studies and financial data using Excel, Minitab, and SAS. Every chapter in this textbook engages the reader with data of individual stock, stock indices, options, and futures. One studies and uses statistics to learn how to study, analyze, and understand a data set of particular interest. Some of the more popular statistical programs that have been developed to use statistical and computational methods to analyze data sets are SAS, SPSS, and Minitab. Of those, we look at Minitab and SAS in this textbook. One of the main reasons to use Minitab is that it is the easiest to use among the popular statistical programs. We look at SAS because it is the leading statistical package used in industry. We also utilize the much less costly and ubiquitous Microsoft Excel to do statistical analysis, as the benefits of Excel have become widely recognized in the academic world and its analytical capabilities extend to about 90 percent of statistical analysis done in the business world. We demonstrate much of our statistical analysis using Excel and double check the analysis and outcomes using Minitab and SAS-also helpful in some analytical methods not possible or practical to do in Excel.

Statistical Programming in SAS Second Edition provides a foundation for programming to implement statistical solutions using SAS, a system that has been used to solve data analytic problems for more than 40 years. The author includes motivating examples to inspire readers to generate programming solutions. Upper-level undergraduates, beginning graduate students, and professionals involved in generating programming solutions for data-analytic problems will benefit from this book. The ideal background for a reader is some background in regression modeling and introductory experience with computer programming. The coverage of statistical programming in the second edition includes Getting data into the SAS system, engineering new features, and formatting variables Writing readable and well-documented code Structuring, implementing, and debugging programs that are well documented Creating solutions to novel problems Combining data sources, extracting parts of data sets, and reshaping data sets as needed for other analyses Generating general solutions using macros Customizing output Producing insight-inspiring data visualizations Parsing, processing, and analyzing text Programming solutions using matrices and connecting to R Processing text Programming with matrices Connecting SAS with R Covering topics that are part of both base and certification exams.

SAS programming is a creative and iterative process designed to empower you to make the most of your organization's data. This friendly guide provides you with a repertoire of essential SAS tools for data management, whether you are a new or an infrequent user. Most useful to students and programmers with little or no SAS experience, it takes a no-frills, hands-on tutorial approach to getting started with the software. You will find immediate guidance in navigating, exploring, visualizing, cleaning, formatting, and reporting on data using SAS and JMP. Step-by-step demonstrations, screenshots, handy tips, and practical exercises with solutions equip you to explore, interpret, process and summarize data independently, efficiently and effectively.

The objective of Kai Zhang and his research is to assess the existing process monitoring and fault detection (PM-FD) methods. His aim is to provide suggestions and guidance for choosing appropriate PM-FD methods, because the performance assessment study for PM-FD methods has become an area of interest in both academics and industry. The author first compares basic FD statistics, and then assesses different PM-FD methods to monitor the key performance indicators of static processes, steady-state dynamic processes and general dynamic processes including transient states. He validates the theoretical developments using both benchmark and real industrial processes.

This book provides new insights on the study of global environmental changes using the ecoinformatics tools and the adaptive-evolutionary technology of geoinformation monitoring. The main advantage of this book is that it gathers and presents extensive interdisciplinary expertise in the parameterization of global biogeochemical cycles and other environmental processes in the context of globalization and sustainable development. In this regard, the crucial global problems concerning the dynamics of the nature-society system are considered and the key problems of ensuring the system's sustainable development are studied. A new approach to the numerical modeling of the nature-society system is proposed and results are provided on modeling the dynamics of the system's characteristics with regard to scenarios of anthropogenic impacts on biogeochemical cycles, land ecosystems and oceans. The main purpose of this book is to develop a universal guide to information-modeling technologies for assessing the function of environmental subsystems under various climatic and anthropogenic conditions.

This book introduces advanced undergraduate, graduate students and practitioners to statistical methods for ranking data. An important aspect of nonparametric statistics is oriented towards the use of ranking data. Rank correlation is defined through the notion of distance functions and the notion of compatibility is introduced to deal with incomplete data. Ranking data are also modeled using a variety of modern tools such as CART, MCMC, EM algorithm and factor analysis. This book deals with statistical methods used for analyzing such data and provides a novel and unifying approach for hypotheses testing. The techniques described in the book are illustrated with examples and the statistical software is provided on the authors' website.

This textbook presents the basic concepts and methods of fluid mechanics, including Lagrangian and Eulerian descriptions, tensors of stresses and strains, continuity, momentum, energy, thermodynamics laws, and similarity theory. The models and their solutions are presented within a context of the mechanics of multiphase media. The treatment fully utilizes the computer algebra and software system Mathematica (R) to both develop concepts and help the reader to master modern methods of solving problems in fluid mechanics. Topics and features: Glossary of over thirty Mathematica (R) computer programs Extensive, self-contained appendix of Mathematica (R) functions and their use Chapter coverage of mechanics of multiphase heterogeneous media Detailed coverage of theory of shock waves in gas dynamics Thorough discussion of aerohydrodynamics of ideal and viscous fluids an d gases Complete worked examples with detailed solutions Problem-solving approach Foundations of Fluid Mechanics with Applications is a complete and accessible text or reference for graduates and professionals in mechanics, applied mathematics, physical sciences, materials science, and engineering. It is an essential resource for the study and use of modern solution methods for problems in fluid mechanics and the underlying mathematical models. The present, softcover reprint is designed to make this classic textbook available to a wider audience.

Describing novel mathematical concepts for recommendation engines, Realtime Data Mining: Self-Learning Techniques for Recommendation Engines features a sound mathematical framework unifying approaches based on control and learning theories, tensor factorization, and hierarchical methods. Furthermore, it presents promising results of numerous experiments on real-world data. The area of realtime data mining is currently developing at an exceptionally dynamic pace, and realtime data mining systems are the counterpart of today's "classic" data mining systems. Whereas the latter learn from historical data and then use it to deduce necessary actions, realtime analytics systems learn and act continuously and autonomously. In the vanguard of these new analytics systems are recommendation engines. They are principally found on the Internet, where all information is available in realtime and an immediate feedback is guaranteed. This monograph appeals to computer scientists and specialists in machine learning, especially from the area of recommender systems, because it conveys a new way of realtime thinking by considering recommendation tasks as control-theoretic problems. Realtime Data Mining: Self-Learning Techniques for Recommendation Engines will also interest application-oriented mathematicians because it consistently combines some of the most promising mathematical areas, namely control theory, multilevel approximation, and tensor factorization.

This volume compiles the major results of conference participants from the "Third International Conference in Network Analysis" held at the Higher School of Economics, Nizhny Novgorod in May 2013, with the aim to initiate further joint research among different groups. The contributions in this book cover a broad range of topics relevant to the theory and practice of network analysis, including the reliability of complex networks, software, theory, methodology, and applications. Network analysis has become a major research topic over the last several years. The broad range of applications that can be described and analyzed by means of a network has brought together researchers, practitioners from numerous fields such as operations research, computer science, transportation, energy, biomedicine, computational neuroscience and social sciences. In addition, new approaches and computer environments such as parallel computing, grid computing, cloud computing, and quantum computing have helped to solve large scale network optimization problems.

The book opens with a short introduction to Indian music, in particular classical Hindustani music, followed by a chapter on the role of statistics in computational musicology. The authors then show how to analyze musical structure using Rubato, the music software package for statistical analysis, in particular addressing modeling, melodic similarity and lengths, and entropy analysis; they then show how to analyze musical performance. Finally, they explain how the concept of seminatural composition can help a music composer to obtain the opening line of a raga-based song using Monte Carlo simulation. The book will be of interest to musicians and musicologists, particularly those engaged with Indian music.

Economists can use computer algebra systems to manipulate symbolic models, derive numerical computations, and analyze empirical relationships among variables. Maxima is an open-source multi-platform computer algebra system that rivals proprietary software. Maxima's symbolic and computational capabilities enable economists and financial analysts to develop a deeper understanding of models by allowing them to explore the implications of differences in parameter values, providing numerical solutions to problems that would be otherwise intractable, and by providing graphical representations that can guide analysis. This book provides a step-by-step tutorial for using this program to examine the economic relationships that form the core of microeconomics in a way that complements traditional modeling techniques. Readers learn how to phrase the relevant analysis and how symbolic expressions, numerical computations, and graphical representations can be used to learn from microeconomic models. In particular, comparative statics analysis is facilitated. Little has been published on Maxima and its applications in economics and finance, and this volume will appeal to advanced undergraduates, graduate-level students studying microeconomics, academic researchers in economics and finance, economists, and financial analysts.

This book highlights recent advances in natural computing, including biology and its theory, bio-inspired computing, computational aesthetics, computational models and theories, computing with natural media, philosophy of natural computing and educational technology. It presents extended versions of the best papers selected from the symposium "7th International Workshop on Natural Computing" (IWNC7), held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2013. The target audience is not limited to researchers working in natural computing but also those active in biological engineering, fine/media art design, aesthetics and philosophy.

Go from total MATLAB newbie to plotting graphs and solving equations in a flash! MATLAB is one of the most powerful and commonly used tools in the STEM field. But did you know it doesn't take an advanced degree or a ton of computer experience to learn it? MATLAB For Dummies is the roadmap you've been looking for to simplify and explain this feature-filled tool. This handy reference walks you through every step of the way as you learn the MATLAB language and environment inside-and-out. Starting with straightforward basics before moving on to more advanced material like Live Functions and Live Scripts, this easy-to-read guide shows you how to make your way around MATLAB with screenshots and newly updated procedures. It includes: A comprehensive introduction to installing MATLAB, using its interface, and creating and saving your first file Fully updated to include the 2020 and 2021 updates to MATLAB, with all-new screenshots and up-to-date procedures Enhanced debugging procedures and use of the Symbolic Math Toolbox Brand new instruction on working with Live Scripts and Live Functions, designing classes, creating apps, and building projects Intuitive walkthroughs for MATLAB's advanced features, including importing and exporting data and publishing your work Perfect for STEM students and new professionals ready to master one of the most powerful tools in the fields of engineering, mathematics, and computing, MATLAB For Dummies is the simplest way to go from complete newbie to power user faster than you would have thought possible.

This book gathers a selection of invited and contributed lectures from the European Conference on Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications (ENUMATH) held in Lausanne, Switzerland, August 26-30, 2013. It provides an overview of recent developments in numerical analysis, computational mathematics and applications from leading experts in the field. New results on finite element methods, multiscale methods, numerical linear algebra and discretization techniques for fluid mechanics and optics are presented. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for a wide range of readers looking for a state-of-the-art overview of advanced techniques, algorithms and results in numerical mathematics and scientific computing.

Technology/Engineering/Mechanical

Provides all the tools needed to begin solving optimization problems using MATLAB(R)

The Second Edition of Applied Optimization with MATLAB(R) Programming enables readers to harness all the features of MATLAB(R) to solve optimization problems using a variety of linear and nonlinear design optimization techniques. By breaking down complex mathematical concepts into simple ideas and offering plenty of easy-to-follow examples, this text is an ideal introduction to the field. Examples come from all engineering disciplines as well as science, economics, operations research, and mathematics, helping readers understand how to apply optimization techniques to solve actual problems.

This Second Edition has been thoroughly revised, incorporating current optimization techniques as well as the improved MATLAB(R) tools. Two important new features of the text are:

Introduction to the scan and zoom method, providing a simple, effective technique that works for unconstrained, constrained, and global optimization problems

New chapter, Hybrid Mathematics: An Application, using examples to illustrate how optimization can develop analytical or explicit solutions to differential systems and data-fitting problems

Each chapter ends with a set of problems that give readers an opportunity to put their new skills into practice. Almost all of the numerical techniques covered in the text are supported by MATLAB(R) code, which readers can download on the text's companion Web site www.wiley.com/go/venkat2e and use to begin solving problems on their own.

This text is recommended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in all areas of engineering as well as other disciplines that use optimization techniques to solve design problems.

This book offers a snapshot of the state-of-the-art in classification at the interface between statistics, computer science and application fields. The contributions span a broad spectrum, from theoretical developments to practical applications; they all share a strong computational component. The topics addressed are from the following fields: Statistics and Data Analysis; Machine Learning and Knowledge Discovery; Data Analysis in Marketing; Data Analysis in Finance and Economics; Data Analysis in Medicine and the Life Sciences; Data Analysis in the Social, Behavioural, and Health Care Sciences; Data Analysis in Interdisciplinary Domains; Classification and Subject Indexing in Library and Information Science. The book presents selected papers from the Second European Conference on Data Analysis, held at Jacobs University Bremen in July 2014. This conference unites diverse researchers in the pursuit of a common topic, creating truly unique synergies in the process.

Praise for the First Edition:

". . . the book serves as an excellent tutorial on the R language, providing examples that illustrate programming concepts in the context of practical computational problems. The book will be of great interest for all specialists working on computational statistics and Monte Carlo methods for modeling and simulation." – Tzvetan Semerdjiev, Zentralblatt Math

Computational statistics and statistical computing are two areas within statistics that may be broadly described as computational, graphical, and numerical approaches to solving statistical problems. Like its bestselling predecessor, Statistical Computing with R, Second Edition covers the traditional core material of these areas with an emphasis on using the R language via an examples-based approach. The new edition is up-to-date with the many advances that have been made in recent years.

Features

Provides an overview of computational statistics and an introduction to the R computing environment.

Focuses on implementation rather than theory.

Explores key topics in statistical computing including Monte Carlo methods in inference, bootstrap and jackknife, permutation tests, Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, and density estimation.

Includes new sections, exercises and applications as well as new chapters on resampling methods and programming topics.

Includes coverage of recent advances including R Studio, the tidyverse, knitr and ggplot2

Accompanied by online supplements available on GitHub including R code for all the exercises as well as tutorials and extended examples on selected topics.

Suitable for an introductory course in computational statistics or for self-study, Statistical Computing with R, Second Edition provides a balanced, accessible introduction to computational statistics and statistical computing.

About the Author

Maria Rizzo is Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where she teaches statistics, actuarial science, computational statistics, statistical programming and data science. Prior to joining the faculty at BGSU in 2006, she was Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Her main research area is energy statistics and distance correlation. She is the software developer and maintainer of the energy package for R. She also enjoys writing books including a forthcoming joint research monograph on energy statistics. 　　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Statistical Computing

The R Environment

Getting Started with R and RStudio

Basic Syntax

Using the R Online Help System

Distributions and Statistical Tests

Functions

Arrays, Data Frames, and Lists

Formula Specifications

Graphics Introduction to ggplot

Workspace and Files

Using Scripts

Using Packages

Using R Markdown and knitr

Exercises

2. Probability and Statistics Review

Random Variables and Probability

Some Discrete Distributions

Some Continuous Distributions

Multivariate Normal Distribution

Limit Theorems

Statistics

Bayes’ Theorem and Bayesian Statistics

Markov Chains

3. Methods for Generating Random Variables

Introduction

The Inverse Transform Method

The Acceptance-Rejection Method

Transformation Methods

Sums and Mixtures

Multivariate Distributions

Exercises

4. Generating Random Processes

Stochastic Processes

Brownian Motions

Exercises

5. Visualization of Multivariate Data

Introduction

Panel Displays

Surface Plots and 3D Scatter Plots

Contour Plots

The Grammar of Graphics and ggplot2

Other 2D Representations of Data

Principal Components Analysis

Exercises

6. Monte Carlo Integration and Variance Reduction

Introduction

Monte Carlo Integration

Variance Reduction

Antithetic Variables

Control Variates

Importance Sampling

Stratified Sampling

Stratified Importance Sampling

Exercises

RCode

7. Monte Carlo Methods in Inference

Introduction

Monte Carlo Methods for Estimation

Monte Carlo Methods for Hypothesis Tests

Application

Exercises

8. Bootstrap and Jackknife

The Bootstrap

The Jackknife

Bootstrap Confidence Intervals

Better Bootstrap Confidence Intervals

Application

Exercises

9. Resampling Applications

Jackknife-after-Bootstrap

Resampling for Regression Models

Influence

Exercises

10. Permutation Tests

Introduction

Tests for Equal Distributions

Multivariate Tests for Equal Distributions

Application

Exercises

11. Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods

Introduction

The Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm

The Gibbs Sampler

Monitoring Convergence

Application

Exercises

R Code

12. Probability Density Estimation

Univariate Density Estimation

Kernel Density Estimation

Bivariate and Multivariate Density Estimation

Other Methods of Density Estimation

Exercises

R Code

13. Introduction to Numerical Methods in R

Introduction

Root-finding in One Dimension

Numerical Integration

Maximum Likelihood Problems

Application

Exercises

14. Optimization 401

Introduction

One-dimensional Optimization

Maximum likelihood estimation with mle

Two-dimensional Optimization

The EM Algorithm

Linear Programming – The Simplex Method

Application

Exercises

15. Programming Topics

Introduction

Benchmarking: Comparing the Execution Time of Code

Profiling

Object Size, Attributes, and Equality

Finding Source Code

Linking C/C++ Code using Rcpp

Application

Exercises

This book is a timely and critical introduction for those interested in what data science is (and isn't), and how it should be applied. The language is conversational and the content is accessible for readers without a quantitative or computational background; but, at the same time, it is also a practical overview of the field for the more technical readers. The overarching goal is to demystify the field and teach the reader how to develop an analytical mindset instead of following recipes. The book takes the scientist's approach of focusing on asking the right question at every step as this is the single most important factor contributing to the success of a data science project. Upon finishing this book, the reader should be asking more questions than I have answered. This book is, therefore, a practising scientist's approach to explaining data science through questions and examples.

This guide for practicing statisticians, data scientists, and R users and programmers will teach the essentials of preprocessing: data leveraging the R programming language to easily and quickly turn noisy data into usable pieces of information. Data wrangling, which is also commonly referred to as data munging, transformation, manipulation, janitor work, etc., can be a painstakingly laborious process. Roughly 80% of data analysis is spent on cleaning and preparing data; however, being a prerequisite to the rest of the data analysis workflow (visualization, analysis, reporting), it is essential that one become fluent and efficient in data wrangling techniques. This book will guide the user through the data wrangling process via a step-by-step tutorial approach and provide a solid foundation for working with data in R. The author's goal is to teach the user how to easily wrangle data in order to spend more time on understanding the content of the data. By the end of the book, the user will have learned: How to work with different types of data such as numerics, characters, regular expressions, factors, and dates The difference between different data structures and how to create, add additional components to, and subset each data structure How to acquire and parse data from locations previously inaccessible How to develop functions and use loop control structures to reduce code redundancy How to use pipe operators to simplify code and make it more readable How to reshape the layout of data and manipulate, summarize, and join data sets