"Mathematical Tools for Social Sciences" is targeted at social scientists who want to gain an understanding of contemporary methods of quantitative data analysis, but for this purpose need to acquire an understanding of advanced mathematical notations and their implementation in statistical software – or, who intend to refresh their knowledge in these topics. The course aims to familiarize with the mathematical tools of matrix algebra and statistical computation and their application using the software package R. The course will help in preparing for the courses at the GESIS Spring Seminar, the Essex Summer School or the ICPSR Summer Program, but also will benefit all researchers who just want to keep pace with recent developments in research methodology.
The course covers the following topics:
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Notation and algebra of vectors and matrices
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Probability distributions and random numbers
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Geometry of linear regression and principal components
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Basic programming techniques
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Derivatives of matrix and vector functions
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Numerical solution of (non-linear) equations
The training course is limited to 25 participants. Applications will be processed by application date.