Math for Data Science
Stavros Toumpis, Assistant Professor, AUEB, toumpis@aueb.gr
Overview
The course is a brief overview of the basic tools from Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus that will
be needed in subsequent courses of the program.
Key Outcomes
By completing the course the students will have been reminded of the basic tools of Linear Algebra and
Multivariable Calculus needed in subsequent courses in the program, notably:
• Fundamental properties of matrices, their norms, and their applications
• Differentiating/integrating multiple variable functions, and the role of the gradient and the
hessian matrix.
• Basic properties of optimization problems involving matrices and functions of multiple variables.
Requirements and Prerequisites
This course is meant to be a refresher. Students are assumed to have developed some mathematical
maturity through a few mathematically oriented classes that involve the standard undergraduate
treatment of linear algebra and single-variable calculus.
Bibliography
1. Gilbert Strang, Linear Algebra and Its Applications, Thomson/Brooks Cole (Available in
a Greek Translation)
2. Thomas M. Apostol, Calculus, Wiley, 2nd Edition, 1991, ISBN 960-07-0067-2.
3. Michael Spivak, Calculus, Publish or Perish, 2008, ISBN 978-0914098911.
4. Ross L. Finney, Maurice D. Weir, and Frank R. Giordano, Thomas's Calculus, Pearson,
12th Edition, 2009.
5. David C. Lay, Linear Algebra and Its Applications, 4th Edition.
6. Yousef Saad, ‘Iterative Methods for Sparse Linear Systems’
Grading
There will be a written examination at the end of the course.
Course Syllabus
The course comprises twelve one-hour lectures which will be spread out in the first two weeks of the
first semester.
Lecture 1: Matrices and Basic Operations, Special structures
Matrices and Basic Operations, interpretation of matrices as linear mappings, and some examples
Lecture 2: Square Matrices, Determinants
Properties of determinants, singular and non-singular matrices, examples, finding an inverse matrix
Lecture 3: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
Characteristic Polynomial, Definition of Left/right Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, Caley-Hamilton
theorem, Singular Value Decomposition, interpretation of eigenvalues/vectors
Lecture 4: Normed Spaces, Vector Spaces, Matrix Norms
Definition of complete normed and vector spaces and some examples. Matrix norms and properties,
applications to series of matrices and their convergence
Lecture 5: The Range and the Null space of a Matrix
Definition and basic properties, orthogonality, Gram-Schmidt algorithm
Lecture 6: Positive-Definite Matrices and the Taylor Expansion of a two-variable function
Definition of positive-definiteness and the role of the eigenvalues. Physical meaning and importance in
real-life problems
Lecture 7: Linear Systems
Definition, applications, solving linear systems, linear inequalities, linear programming
Lecture 8: Real-valued functions of two or more variables.
Definition, examples, simple demos, applications
Lecture 9: Analysis elements
Distance, Limits, continuity, differentiability, the gradient and the Hessian
Lecture 10: Optimization problems
Simple examples, motivation, the role of the Hessian, maxima and minima and related extrema
conditions
Lecture 11: Integration
Double integrals, Fubini’s theorem, properties, applications
Lecture 12: Elements of Convex Optimization
Functions of n variables. Convex sets, convex functions, convex problems, and their basic properties.
Examples of convex problems, convexity versus non-convexity