Prediction, Visualization, and Fraud Detection

Course Description

Modern computing has gone a long way in the areas of prediction and data visualization. This frontier is called Data Mining and has been ranked by MIT Technology Review (2001) as one of the ten emerging technologies that will change the world. In this course, we will use a variety of videos and films to explore the data mining component of the Google operation and to learn how the same techniques are used in applications that impact our lives in both positive and noxious manners. In addition, we will use powerful computers to perform dynamic visualization and the detection of high-tech crimes. Most importantly, the course will engage students in the discussion of controversial issues such as privacy concerns, precautions, and the battles of humans vs. machines in the era of super crunching. The discussions will be centered at a variety of studies in a 2007 book, Super Crunchers, by Ian Ayres, a professor at Yale University’s School of Management.