Data Science, Random Numbers, and Statistics

Data science is a relatively new and evolving interdisciplinary field that sits at the intersection between computer science, software engineering, and statistics. Analysis of data has traditionally been performed by statisticians. An ideal data scientist would be equally well versed in statistics and programming. Machine learning techniques develop intelligence—the ability to make classifications or predictions—based on learning directly from data rather than being explicitly coded by humans. It is deeply rooted in statistics. Random sampling is at the core of many machine learning algorithms. Games and simulations often lean heavily on random numbers, including for generating variety in scenarios and for the artificial intelligence procedures for non‐player characters. In interviews, random number generator problems combine mathematical concepts like statistics with computer code, allowing for evaluation of programmer's analytical skills as well as their coding ability.