Sequential Decisions builds from math and algorithms that can be understood and used by Coursera Students. This course will start from a consideration of the simplest type of data streams and then gradually advance to more complex types of data and more nuanced decisions being made on that data. You will be able to: (a) program optimal decisions for data arriving from known distribution functions, (b) define error bars and nuanced hedges about ongoing data streams to reflect missing data and/or missing knowledge, (c)understand and use the connections from these models to further understand Markov Chains and Markov Processes and how these ideas connect to Reinforcement Learning and (d) Understand better the nuances between time-independent, time-dependent, one-dimensional and multi-dimensional data.
Data Science Decisions in Time: Using Data Effectively
This course is part of Data Science Decisions in Time Specialization
Instructor: Thomas Woolf
Included with
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
By the end of the course you will: (1) understand sequential testing and thus when to stop collecting data and (2) how this concept is used today.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
August 2024
11 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 5 modules in this course
This module introduces the class and the approach to teaching it to be used for the next five weeks. We begin with simple sequential data, similar to Wald’s model: data arrives from a distribution and is not time dependent. This can be generative data. We then explore increasingly complex data from distributions collected for health or business reasons. We finish the week with connections to code work and to AI.
What's included
5 videos2 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
This module is the bridge into Markov Processes and Markov Chains. Thompson sampling is an old algorithm, that has been revived and is currently in-use on many challenging problems. By understanding this material and the connections to last week and to the week ahead, students will be well positioned to have mastered this first course in the specialization
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt
Change points are locations where the previously stationary distributions of the last two modules shift to a new distribution In a manufacturing line this could be due to a new batch of materials that arrive with different characteristics, so the failure rate changes.
What's included
2 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt
Markov chains describe a sequence of state changes. They are often used to describe complex transitions between states and are a primary modeling tool for improving understanding of a complex system. We will use them as a model for how sequential data may be produced by a more complex system.
What's included
3 videos1 reading2 assignments1 discussion prompt
The next step in modeling ability is Markov processes with decisions. This connects to modern research in reinforcement learning and enables optimization over the sets of decisions for an optimal outcome. In this last week of the first course we will cover the basics of how these Markov Decision Processes can be parameterized and what they mean.
What's included
2 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
Instructor
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Data Analysis
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
Why people choose Coursera for their career
New to Data Analysis? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.