Chapter 1. Getting Started

Data analysis is the process in which raw data is ordered and organized to be used in methods that help to evaluate and explain the past and predict the future. Data analysis is not about the numbers, it is about making/asking questions, developing explanations, and testing hypotheses based on logical and analytical methods. Data analysis is a multidisciplinary field that combines computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, mathematics, and business domain, as shown in the following figure:

All of these skills are important for gaining a good understanding of the problem and its optimal solutions, so let's define those fields.