38612 Information Visualization for Scientists
This course introduces the student to the concepts and tools of data visualization. Emphasis is placed on information visualization, with some exposure to visualization of scientific datasets with a spatial reference frame. The student will gain hands-on experience with a variety of visualization tools accessible from Python and R, including matplotlib, ggplot, and VisIt. This course is required for students enrolled in the MS program in Data Analytics for Science.The main topics will include:
- Understanding the structure of data and the way it relates to visual idiom. For example, simple tabular data requires a different presentation from data within a spatial reference frame.
- Common visual idioms, and the tools to produce them in Python and R.
- The encoding of relevant components of the data in the free parameters of the visual idiom.
- The impact of color choice, data volume, and complexity on the ability to perceive patterns in data.
- The distinction between information visualization and scientific visualization, and the boundary cases in between.