R is an open source programming language and software environment for statistical computing and visualization. The R language is frequently used by statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis. The language is mature, simple, and effective. R is an integrated suite of software facilities for data manipulation, calculation and graphical display. It offers a large collection of intermediate tools for data analysis. R supports procedural programming with functions and, for some functions, object-oriented programming with generic functions. It includes conditionals, loops, user-defined recursive functions and input and output facilities.
R is an offshoot of the S programming language combined with lexical scoping semantics inspired by Scheme. The other modern implementation of S is S-PLUS featuring object-oriented programming capabilities and advanced analytical algorithms. R provides an open source way to participate in statistical methodology research.
R provides a wide variety of statistical and graphical techniques, including linear and nonlinear modeling, classical statistical tests, time-series analysis, classification, clustering, and others.
R is highly extensible through the use of user-submitted packages for specific functions or specific areas of study. Packages are collections of R functions, data, and compiled code in a well-defined format. The directory where packages are stored is called the library. R comes with a standard set of packages. Add additional functionality by defining new functions.
R is not the easiest language to learn. The focus of this article is to select some informative R books that aid statisticians and data miners to master this refined language, and exploit its full power. All of the books are available to download for free, with many of them released under a freely distributable license.
To cater for all tastes, we have chosen a good range of books, with introductory, intermediate and specialized texts included. All of the texts here come with our strongest recommendation. So get reading (and downloading).
1. The R Inferno | |||||||||
The R Inferno is an essential must read guide to the trouble spots and oddities of R. The book shares with the reader a lot of useful information and maintains the reader's interest. The book provides many useful techniques and tips for reducing memory usage, improving performance, and avoiding errors in computational analysis. R is regarded as an excellent computing environment for most data analysis tasks. R is free, released under an open-source license, and has thousands of contributed packages. It is used in such diverse fields as ecology, finance, genomics and music. Chapters are headed:
The book is illuminated with famous Botticelli artworks: The Giants, The Sowers of Discord, and The Thieves. |
2. Introduction to Probability and Statistics Using R | |||||||||
Introduction to Proabability and Statistics Using R is a textbook for an undergraduate course in probability and statistics. The approximate prerequisites are two or three semesters of calculus and some linear algebra. Students attending the class include mathematics, engineering, and computer science majors. Chapters cover:
Introduction to Proabability and Statistics Using R is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. |
3. The Undergraduate Guide to R | |||||||||
The Undergraduate Guide to R is an introduction to the R programming language for beginners. After reading this book, you will be able to perform most common data manipulating, analyzing, comparing and viewing tasks with R. The book also provides the necessary foundation blocks to enable the reader to progress to more advanced R techniques, and offers general tips and suggestions about how to code in R. The Undergraduate Guide to R is written so that the reader needs no prior knowledge of programming (although basic knowledge of general computer skills and statistics is essential). Sections cover:
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