Chapter 1. First Steps in Data Analysis

Wolfram Mathematica is not just a system that can solve almost any mathematical task. It is a Swiss army knife, which allows you to process images, audio, and written text to perform classification and identification of objects, as well as to manage files. It also provides other tremendous capabilities. In Mathematica, you can call functions, as well as receive a call from modules that are written using different programming languages and technologies, such as C, .NET, Java, and others. The system can generate code and compile files. Mathematica includes over 4,500 functions, which go beyond mathematical calculations. Wolfram Mathematica is constantly changing while still maintaining full compatibility with previous versions.

In this chapter, you will learn the following:

• How to install the Wolfram Mathematica system
• How to configure it to fit your needs
• What the Wolfram language kernel is and how to run it
• Wolfram Mathematica features to write expressions