Data Science: Probability
- Free to audit
- Paid certificate
- Course certificate
- Beginner
- 8 weeks
Data Science: Probability, part of HarvardX's Professional Certificate in Data Science, teaches the probability theory that underpins statistical inference, using the 2007-2008 financial crisis as its motivating case: part of what went wrong was that the risk of some securities sold by financial institutions was underestimated. The course introduces random variables, independence, Monte Carlo simulation, expected values, standard errors and the Central Limit Theorem, and shows how to compute these quantities in R. The point is to be able to judge whether a pattern in data is likely due to the experimental method or to chance, which is the foundation of statistical testing.
It is self-paced, eight weeks long at 1 to 2 hours per week, and rated introductory. Harvard lists the course as free to audit on edX, with a verified certificate available for $149.
What you’ll learn
- Define random variables and independence
- Run Monte Carlo simulations in R
- Compute expected values and standard errors
- Explain the Central Limit Theorem and why it matters for inference
Who it’s for
Learners with basic R who want the probability foundations for statistics and data science.
Source: Harvard Online (opens in a new tab) · Verified · Report a change
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