Data Analytics

Handbook of Formulas and Techniques

Adedeji B. Badiru

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000297355
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Quality Control in Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Good data analytics is the basis for effective decisions. Whoever has the data, has the ability to extract information promptly and effectively to make pertinent decisions. The premise of this handbook is to empower users and tool developers with the appropriate collection of formulas and techniques for data analytics and to serve as a quick reference to keep pertinent formulas within fingertip reach of readers.

This handbook includes formulas that will appeal to mathematically inclined readers. It discusses how to use data analytics to improve decision-making and is ideal for those new to using data analytics to show how to expand their usage horizon. It provides quantitative techniques for modeling pandemics, such as COVID-19. It also adds to the suite of mathematical tools for emerging technical areas.

This handbook is a handy reference for researchers, practitioners, educators, and students in areas such as industrial engineering, production engineering, project management, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, technology management, and business management worldwide.

1 Essentials of Data Analytics

Data, data, data everywhere, but not a bit to byte and chew on.

Introduction to COVID-19 Data Analytics

This equation-and-formula-based book is the result of COVID-19-driven interest in data analytics. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in early 2020 heightened the awareness and interest in data analytics. Prior to this particular pandemic, most people paid little attention to the efficacy of data analytics. As the horror of the pandemic unfolded, the primary connectivity that citizens had to the latest gory developments was through output of data analytics presented in streaming updates of visualization charts, tables, and numeric details. In fact, the hurried global assembling of COVID-19 data served as the initial motivation that initiated my foray into writing this handbook. The increased interest in data analytics is for the purpose of visualizing and predicting the spread of the disease. Thus, the need for this handbook is predicted on the growing demand for additional references on data analytics. The handbook focuses on providing the mathematical backbone upon which data analytics tools and software can be developed. As such, the premise of the handbook lies on data analytics formulas and techniques. Students and researchers developing data models can use the contents as guiding references for what is available in terms of modeling techniques. Data analytics can be used for data diagnostics for COVID-19 and other pandemics. Data analytics is needed for a prove of concept of new developments or new treatments protocols. Data analytics can help to achieve the following:

• Know the data we have.
• Know what the data says.
• Know how to analyze the data.
• Know how to present the data for relevant decisions.

The ubiquitous Microsoft Excel has powerful tools that are based on formulas and equations of the genre contained in this book. The spreadsheet software can do database queries, illustrative plots, simulation, optimization, machine learning, and curve fitting. Creative and experienced users can develop customized uses of the software. Coronavirus modeling requires formulas, equations, and techniques similar to the contents of this book.

Systems View of Data Analytics

Coronavirus has disrupted the entire world system. No place is immune because there is no previous immunity against the virus. This brings us to take a systems view of the world. In systems engineering, a system is defined as follows:

A collection of interrelated elements, whose combined output is higher than the sum of the individual outputs of the elements making up the system.

I offer the following COVID-19 definition of a contagion-prone world system:

COVID-19 Novel Definition of a World System

A COVID-19 World System is a group of inter-connected regions of the world, whose normally-localized individual contagion has spread to infect the entire Wor...