The Nest of Engineers

Deep learning is one of today’s hottest fields. This approach to machine learning is achieving breakthrough results in some of today’s highest profile applications, in organizations ranging from Google to Tesla, Facebook to Apple. Thousands of technical professionals and students want to start leveraging its power, but previous books on deep learning have often been non-intuitive, inaccessible, and dry. In Deep Learning Illustrated, three world-class instructors and practitioners present a uniquely visual, intuitive, and accessible high-level introduction to the techniques and applications of deep learning. Packed with vibrant, full-color illustrations, it abstracts away much of the complexity of building deep learning models, making the field more fun to learn, and accessible to a far wider audience.

Part I’s high-level overview explains what Deep Learning is, why it has become so ubiquitous, and how it relates to concepts and terminology such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Networks, and Reinforcement Learning. These opening chapters are replete with vivid illustrations, easy-to-grasp analogies, and character-focused narratives. Building on this foundation, the authors then offer a practical reference and tutorial for applying a wide spectrum of proven deep learning techniques. Essential theory is covered with as little mathematics as possible, and illuminated with hands-on Python code. Theory is supported with practical “run-throughs” available in accompanying Jupyter notebooks, delivering a pragmatic understanding of all major deep learning approaches and their applications: machine vision, natural language processing, image generation, and videogaming. To help readers accomplish more in less time, the authors feature several of today’s most widely-used and innovative deep learning libraries, including TensorFlow and its high-level API, Keras; PyTorch, and the recently-released high-level Coach, a TensorFlow API that abstracts away the complexity typically associated with building Deep Reinforcement Learning algorithms.

Tunnels have a high degree of risk that needs to be assessed and managed. Underground works intersect and interact with natural materials, incorporating their characteristics as structural components of their own stability. For this reason geotechnical risk analyses are implemented at all phases of tunnel construction, from design through to post-construction maintenance. Analysis of geotechnical risk involves a group of studies which lead to the identification and evaluation of the potential probability of error and the consequences of its occurrence. This volume considers construction and safety, financing and control, and exploration and maintenance. Eminent specialists discuss risk assessment and management, based both on advanced theoretical concepts and on practical experience. The book is of interest to a wide range of professionals involved in planning, construction and management of tunnels: entrepreneurs, designers, consultants and contractors.

Bayesian methods of inference are deeply natural and extremely powerful. However, most discussions of Bayesian inference rely on intensely complex mathematical analyses and artificial examples, making it inaccessible to anyone without a strong mathematical background. Now, though, Cameron Davidson-Pilon introduces Bayesian inference from a computational perspective, bridging theory to practice–freeing you to get results using computing power. Bayesian Methods for Hackers illuminates Bayesian inference through probabilistic programming with the powerful PyMC language and the closely related Python tools NumPy, SciPy, and Matplotlib. Using this approach, you can reach effective solutions in small increments, without extensive mathematical intervention.

Davidson-Pilon begins by introducing the concepts underlying Bayesian inference, comparing it with other techniques and guiding you through building and training your first Bayesian model. Next, he introduces PyMC through a series of detailed examples and intuitive explanations that have been refined after extensive user feedback. You’ll learn how to use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm, choose appropriate sample sizes and priors, work with loss functions, and apply Bayesian inference in domains ranging from finance to marketing. Once you’ve mastered these techniques, you’ll constantly turn to this guide for the working PyMC code you need to jumpstart future projects.

Coverage includes: • Learning the Bayesian “state of mind” and its practical implications • Understanding how computers perform Bayesian inference • Using the PyMC Python library to program Bayesian analyses • Building and debugging models with PyMC • Testing your model’s “goodness of fit” • Opening the “black box” of the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to see how and why it works • Leveraging the power of the “Law of Large Numbers” • Mastering key concepts, such as clustering, convergence, autocorrelation, and thinning • Using loss functions to measure an estimate’s weaknesses based on your goals and desired outcomes • Selecting appropriate priors and understanding how their influence changes with dataset size • Overcoming the “exploration versus exploitation” dilemma: deciding when “pretty good” is good enough • Using Bayesian inference to improve A/B testing • Solving data science problems when only small amounts of data are available.

Foundations and Applications of Statistics simultaneously emphasizes both the foundational and the computational aspects of modern statistics. Engaging and accessible, this book is useful to undergraduate students with a wide range of backgrounds and career goals. The exposition immediately begins with statistics, presenting concepts and results from probability along the way. Hypothesis testing is introduced very early, and the motivation for several probability distributions comes from p-value computations. Pruim develops the students' practical statistical reasoning through explicit examples and through numerical and graphical summaries of data that allow intuitive inferences before introducing the formal machinery. The topics have been selected to reflect the current practice in statistics, where computation is an indispensible tool. In this vein, the statistical computing environment $\textsf{R}$ is used throughout the text and is integral to the exposition. Attention is paid to developing students' mathematical and computational skills as well as their statistical reasoning. Linear models, such as regression and ANOVA, are treated with explicit reference to the underlying linear algebra, which is motivated geometrically. Foundations and Applications of Statistics discusses both the mathematical theory underlying statistics and practical applications that make it a powerful tool across disciplines. The book contains ample material for a two-semester course in undergraduate probability and statistics. A one-semester course based on the book will cover hypothesis testing and confidence intervals for the most common situations.