At the beginning of your career in data sciences, algorithms are hugely over-rated. Every routine task, every subroutine, every strategy or method you do or write is because of an effective algorithm. In essence, all programs are formed of algorithms and you implement them with every line of code you write! Even in real life, you are executing tasks by algorithms formulated in your brain and just remember that all algorithms are simulations of how the human brain works.
Just as you begin with baby-steps and then worry about speed and efficiency it is a good routine to start your Data science career with the algorithms if you are not from a computer science background. And there are hordes of resources online that you can start with. Some people prefer the Youtube tutorials to reading books or even a tandem process including texts and videos which is fine.
As a beginner of a Data Science Career, your focus should be on making your algorithm work. Scalability comes much later when you integrate writing programs for large databases. Start with simple tasks. You will need to learn by practice and with determination laced with dedication. Don’t give up, as you never did, when you started walking or talking in English!
At the onset of learning, you will need to:
- Understand and develop algorithms.
- Understand how the computer processes and accesses information.
- What limitations does the computer face when executing the task on hand?
Here’s an example of how algorithms work. Though huge amounts of data are stored and processed almost instantly, it can process/access only one/two pieces of information every time. This is the basis that algorithms use for simple tasks like finding the lowest/ highest number. An algorithm is essentially a series of sequential steps that helps the computer perform a task.
Starting with very basic algorithms for finding maximum/ minimum numbers, identifying prime numbers, sorting a list, etc will help understand and move to more complex algorithms. Modern times computer scientists use the suite and libraries of optimized and developed algorithms for both basic and complicated tasks.
For one who is not from a computer science background here are the basic steps to learn algorithm writing.
- Begin with basic mathematics needed for algorithmic complexity analysis and proofs.
- Learn a basic computer language like the C Suite.
- Read about data science topics and the best programming practices:
- Study algorithms and data structures
- Learn about data analytics, databases and how the algorithms in CLRS work.
Learning algorithms and mathematics:
All algorithms for a data science career requires proficiency in the three topics of Linear Algebra, Probability Theory, and Multivariate Calculus.
Some of the many reasons why mathematics is crucial in learning about algorithms are:
- Selecting the apt algorithm with a mix of parameters including accuracy, model complexity, training time, number of features, number of parameters and such.
- Selecting the validation of strategies and parameter-settings.
- Using the tradeoff of Bias-Variance in identifying under or overfitting.
- Estimating uncertainty and confidence intervals.
Can you learn Math for data science quickly? The answer is that it is not required for you to be an expert. Rather understand the concepts and applications of the math to algorithms.
Doing math and learning algorithms through self-learning is time-consuming and laborious. But, there is no easy way out. If you want to quicken the process there are short and intensive training institutes to help.
While there may be any number of resources online, mathematics and algorithms are best learned by solving problems and doing! You must undertake homework, assignments and regular tests of your knowledge.
One way of getting there quickly and easily is to do a Data Science Course with a bootcamp for mathematics at Imarticus Learning. This will ensure the smooth transition of math and algorithmic data science applications. At the end of this course, you can build your algorithms and experiment with them in your projects.
Conclusion:
Algorithms and Mathematics are all about practice and more practice. However, it is crucial in today’s modern world where data sciences, AI, ML, VR, AR, and CS rule.
These sectors are where most career aspirants are seeking to make their careers because of the ever-increasing demand for professionals and the fact that with an increase in data and development of these core sectors, there are plentiful opportunities to land the well-paid jobs.
At the Imarticus Learning, Data Science career course, you will find a variety of courses on offer for both the newbie and tech-geek wanting to go ahead in his/her career.
For more details, you can contact us through the Live Chat Support system or can even visit one of our training centers based in - Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Gurgaon.
Start today if you want to do a course in the algorithms used in data sciences. Happy coding!
