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Friday Cat Blogging (Kara vs. Nietzsche Issue of Non-Science-Geek Edition)
But enough about the single worst book I read last year. Here, in honor of National Black Cat Appreciation Day, is Kara helping me sort through relics from graduate school: Kara feels that section 207,...
View ArticleClass Announcement: 36-350, Statistical Computing
It's that time of year again: 36-350, Statistical Computing Description: Computational data analysis is an essential part of modern statistics. Competent statisticians must not just be able to run...
View ArticleOrientation
Attention conservation notice: Posted because I got tired of repeating it to nervous new graduate students. You are not beginning graduate school at a research university. (Any resemblance to how I...
View ArticleBasic Data Types and Data Structures (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
Introduction to the course: statistical programming for autonomy, honesty, and clarity of thought. The functional programming idea: write code by building functions to transform input data into desired...
View ArticleRobins and Wasserman Respond to a Nobel Prize Winner
Attention conservation notice: 2500 words of statisticians quarreling with econometricians about arcane points of statistical theory. Long, long ago, I tried to inveigle Larry into writing this, by...
View ArticleMore Data Structures (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
Lecture 2: Matrices as a special type of array; functions for matrix arithmetic and algebra: multiplication, transpose, determinant, inversion, solving linear systems. Using names to make calculations...
View ArticleRainfall, Data Structures, Obsessive Doodling (Introduction to Statistical...
In which we practice working with data frames, grapple with some of the subtleties of R's system of data types, and calculate the consequences of doodling while bored in lecture. Assignment, due at...
View ArticleLab: Basic Probability, Basic Data Structures (Introduction to Statistical...
In which we play around with basic data structures and convince ourself that the laws of probability are, in fact, right. (Or perhaps that R's random number generator is pretty good.) Lab Introduction...
View ArticleBooks to Read While the Algae Grow in Your Fur, August 2012
Attention conservation notice: I have no taste. M. S. Bartlett, Stochastic Population Models in Ecology and Epidemiology Short (real data. Despite its technical obsolescence, I plan to rip it off...
View Article"Dependence Estimation in High-Dimensional Euclidean Spaces" (Next...
For the first seminar of the new academic year, we are very pleased to welcome — Barnabas Pcozos, "Dependence Estimation in High-Dimensional Euclidean Spaces" Abstract: In this presentation we review...
View ArticleFlow Control, Looping, Vectorizing (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
Lecture 3: Conditioning the calculation on the data: if; what is truth?; Boolean operators again; switch. Iteration to repeat similar calculations: for and iterating over a vector; while and...
View ArticleBook-Chat
Attention conservation notice: As though I don't drone on about technical books too much as it is, pointers to five reviews averaging 2,000+ words each. Some notes on books which grew too large for the...
View ArticlePareto at Melos
Because Brad DeLong wants to revive a discussion from two years ago about "Hobbesian" tendencies in economics, I am reminded of a truly excellent paper which Brendan O'Connor told me about a few months...
View ArticleTweaking Resource-Allocation-by-Tweaking (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
In which we make incremental improvements to our code for planning by incremental improvements. Assignment, code. Introduction to Statistical Computing
View ArticleLab: Flow Control and the Urban Economy (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
In which we use nonlinear least squares to fit the West et al. model. Lab, R code; solutions. Introduction to Statistical Computing
View ArticleWriting and Calling Functions (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
Lecture 4: Just as data structures tie related values together into objects, functions tie related commands together into objects. Declaring functions. Arguments (inputs) and return values (outputs)....
View ArticleWriting Multiple Functions (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
Lecture 5: Using multiple functions to solve multiple problems; to sub-divide awkward problems into more tractable ones; to re-use solutions to recurring problems. Value of consistent interfaces for...
View ArticleLab: Of Big- and Small- Hearted Cats (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
In which we practice the arts of writing functions and of estimating distributions, while contemplating just how little room there is in the heart of a cat. Lab Introduction to Statistical Computing
View ArticleHitting Bottom and Calling for a Shovel (Introduction to Statistical Computing)
In which we see how to minimize the mean squared error when there are two parameters, in the process learning about writing functions, decomposing problems into smaller steps, testing the solutions to...
View Article"Balancing the Books By Benchmarking: What To Do When Small Area...
Next week, we have one of our graduate student seminars, where the speakers are selected, and all the organizing work is done, by our graduate students: Beka Steorts, "Balancing the Books By...
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