Back to Algebra and Differential Calculus for Data Science
University of Colorado Boulder

Algebra and Differential Calculus for Data Science

Are you interested in Data Science but lack the math background for it? Has math always been a tough subject that you tend to avoid? This course will teach you the most fundamental Calculus concepts that you will need for a career in Data Science without a ton of unnecessary proofs and techniques that you may never use. Consider this an expressway to Data Science with approachable methods and friendly concepts that will guide you to truly understanding the most important ideas in Differential Calculus. We will review some algebra basics, talk about what a derivative is, compute some simple derivatives and apply the basics of derivatives to graphing and maximizing functions. This course is designed to prepare learners to successfully complete Statistical Modeling for Data Science Application, which is part of CU Boulder's Master of Science in Data Science (MS-DS) program. Logo courtesy of ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash.com

Status: General Mathematics
Status: Calculus
IntermediateCourse8 hours

Featured reviews

ST

5.0Reviewed Aug 26, 2022

Excellent course for students who want to refresh their memory of calculus and simple algebra before diving into more complicated concepts. It really helped me. Thanks

LS

4.0Reviewed Apr 1, 2023

The material was presented and explained well. I wish there was more engagement in the forums or associated study material recommended.

MM

5.0Reviewed Oct 2, 2023

only problem I had was with logs. Used khan academy and started from scratch. Also graphing was an issue I had to resolve.

AV

5.0Reviewed Feb 9, 2025

Quick and to the point; this was a fantastic way to freshen up on my old math skills from long ago. Only small complaint was the occasional off-screen white-boarding, but was manageable.

SO

5.0Reviewed Mar 18, 2023

I like the fact how this course is segmented from the beginning to the end and specially how to plot 2 dimensional graph from a polynomial function.

KP

5.0Reviewed Oct 7, 2024

More a survey of material than skills development but it was covered well and clearly.

LG

4.0Reviewed Oct 30, 2025

very good course, needs a little more explanation of how to calculate some of the things (e.g. derivatives of log functions), but the AI Coach can help

WA

5.0Reviewed Mar 10, 2023

Giving a 5 star review because of the videos that were produced, they really taught in a consise manner. However, I think that the Calculus section could have had more videos and more examples.

VG

5.0Reviewed Nov 3, 2022

Excellent course. I never did university calculus, and this was a great way to test my understanding and prompt additional learning as I attempted the quizzes.Thank you!

SV

5.0Reviewed Apr 24, 2023

overall good course was a good refresher for my exams and the way the material is taught makes it very easy to understand.

MP

4.0Reviewed Dec 26, 2023

The videos could be centered better. Having access to notes or downloadable slides could also be helpful as future references.

LR

5.0Reviewed Mar 14, 2025

Awesome course to remember some basic topics learned in school, hope to continue and look for the degree

All reviews

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