Microsoft: DAT280x Essential Math for Machine Learning: R Edition

Essential Math for Machine Learning: R Edition

Learn the essential mathematical foundations for machine learning and artificial intelligence.

About this course

This course is part of the Microsoft Professional Program Certificate in Data Science.

Want to study machine learning or artificial intelligence, but worried that your math skills may not be up to it? Do words like "algebra" and "calculus" fill you with dread? Has it been so long since you studied math at school that you've forgotten much of what you learned in the first place?

You're not alone. Machine learning and AI are built on mathematical principles like Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, Statistics, and Optimization; and many would-be AI practitioners find this daunting. This course is not designed to make you a mathematician. Rather, it aims to help you learn some essential foundational concepts and the notation used to express them. The course provides a hands-on approach to working with data and applying the techniques you've learned.

This course is not a full math curriculum. It's not designed to replace school or college math education. Instead, it focuses on the key mathematical concepts that you'll encounter in studies of machine learning. It is designed to fill the gaps for students who missed these key concepts as part of their formal education, or who need to refresh their memories after a long break from studying math.

What you'll learn

Familiarity with Equations, Functions, and Graphs
Differentiation and Optimization
Vectors and Matrices
Statistics and Probability

Prerequisites

To complete this course successfully, you should have:

A basic knowledge of math
Some programming experience – R is preferred.
A willingness to learn through self-paced study.

Course Syllabus

Introduction
Equations, Functions, and Graphs
Differentiation and Optimization
Vectors and Matrices
Statistics and Probability

Note: This syllabus is preliminary and subject to change.

Meet the instructors

Graeme Malcolm

Senior Content Developer
Microsoft Learning Experiences

Graeme has been a trainer, consultant, and author for longer than he cares to remember, specializing in SQL Server and the Microsoft data platform. He is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert for the SQL Server Data Platform and Business Intelligence. After years of working with Microsoft as a partner and vendor, he now works in the Microsoft Learning Experiences team as a senior content developer, where he plans and creates content for developers and data professionals who want to get the best out of Microsoft technologies.