Classic Game Design. From Pong to Pac-Man with Unity: Crafting Timeless Retro Games with Expert Techniques

Mercury Learning and Information, Franz Lanzinger

This book teaches you to design and develop classic arcade video games. Using modern, free software tools like Unity, you’ll create five retro games inspired by the classics. All source code, art, and sound files are provided in the companion files. You'll enjoy customizing graphics, adjusting scoring, coding AI, and creating sound effects, gaining a deep understanding of the roots of modern video game design from the '70s and '80s.The course begins with an introduction and essential tools, then guides you through creating various retro games. Each chapter builds on the previous one with detailed instructions, exercises, and classic game design rules. The book includes historical anecdotes from a former Atari programmer and insights on applying classic game design concepts to modern games.Understanding these design elements is crucial for developing engaging video games. This book transitions readers from beginners to proficient game developers, blending theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Companion files enhance the learning experience, making this book an invaluable resource for mastering classic game design with modern tools.

TensorFlow 2 Pocket Primer. A Quick Reference Guide for TensorFlow 2 Developers

Mercury Learning and Information, Oswald Campesato

As part of the best-selling *Pocket Primer* series, this book introduces beginners to basic machine learning algorithms using TensorFlow 2. It provides a fast-paced introduction to TensorFlow, covering core features and machine learning basics with Python code samples. An appendix includes Keras-based code samples and explores MLPs, CNNs, RNNs, and LSTMs. The chapters illustrate how to solve various tasks, encouraging further reading to deepen your knowledge.The journey begins with an introduction to TensorFlow 2, followed by essential APIs and datasets. You'll explore linear regression and classifiers, learning to apply TensorFlow to practical problems. The comprehensive appendix covers advanced topics like NLPs and deep learning architectures, enhancing your understanding of machine learning.Understanding these concepts is crucial for modern AI applications. This book transitions readers from basic TensorFlow use to advanced machine learning techniques, blending theory with practical examples. Companion files with source code and figures enhance learning, making this an essential resource for mastering TensorFlow and machine learning.

Text Analytics for Business Decisions. Mastering Techniques for Insightful Data Interpretation through a Case Study Approach

Mercury Learning and Information, Andres Fortino

This book leverages advanced techniques and tools in data science to extend data analysis from numeric and categorical data to textual data. Designed for business analysts, it uses a case study approach to teach skills in extracting insights from text data, supporting business decision-making. Exercises primarily use Excel and R, covering techniques from basic text analytics to sophisticated methods like topic extraction and text similarity scoring.The course begins with framing analytical questions and exploring analytical tool sets. It progresses through preparing data files, performing word frequency and keyword analysis, and conducting sentiment analysis. Advanced topics include visualizing text data, coding, named entity recognition, and topic recognition in documents. The book also covers text similarity scoring and the analysis of large datasets by sampling.Throughout this journey, readers will apply the CRISP-DM data mining standard, using companion files with numerous datasets for practical exercises. By the end, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of text analytics, enabling them to derive meaningful insights from textual data to inform business strategies.

Angular and Deep Learning Pocket Primer. A Comprehensive Guide to AI and Expert Systems for Professionals

Mercury Learning and Information, Oswald Campesato

As part of the Pocket Primer series, this book introduces basic deep learning concepts and integrates them into Angular 10 applications. It offers a fast-paced introduction to deep learning features and popular classifiers. Covering Angular 10 functionality, deep learning concepts, and key classification algorithms, the book includes code samples and figures. Topics such as TensorFlow and Keras are also explored.The book begins with an introduction to AI and its applications, followed by state space search and heuristic search strategies. You will delve into expert systems, their development life cycle, knowledge acquisition, and representation. These topics lead to a deeper understanding of neural networks, the learning process, and fuzzy logic systems, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of AI and deep learning principles.Understanding these concepts is essential for developing sophisticated AI applications and enhancing Angular 10 projects. This book transitions you from a novice to a proficient developer, equipped with practical skills and knowledge. Advanced topics like fuzzy expert systems and logic programming are covered, culminating in advanced Prolog. Companion files with source code and color figures enhance the learning experience, making this book an invaluable resource for integrating deep learning with Angular 10.

Market Research and Analysis. Mastering Market Research: Advanced Methods, Design, and Data Analysis

Mercury Learning and Information, Marcus Goncalves

This book offers an in-depth exploration of market research and analysis, guiding readers through the entire process from defining research objectives to communicating results. Begin by understanding the purpose and ethics of market research, laying a strong groundwork for your studies. Progress to defining precise research objectives and exploring secondary research methods to gather existing information.Next, engage with primary research methods, focusing on both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Learn how to develop and distribute surveys, choose the right sampling techniques, and utilize tools for data mining and web scraping. Gain insights into focus groups and observation studies, understanding how these qualitative methods can provide depth to your research.Finally, master the art of data analysis and result communication. Explore descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and inferential statistics to make sense of your data. Learn to effectively present your findings to stakeholders, ensuring your research translates into actionable insights. By the end of the course, you will be well-equipped to conduct thorough market research and communicate your results effectively.

Big Data Using Hadoop and Hive. Master Big Data Solutions with Hadoop and Hive

Mercury Learning and Information, Nitin Kumar

This book is a guide for developers and engineers to use Hadoop and Hive for scalable big data applications. It covers reading, writing, and managing large datasets with Hive and provides a concise introduction to Apache Hadoop and Hive, detailing their collaboration to simplify development. Through clear examples, the book explains the logic, code, and configurations needed for building successful distributed applications.The course starts with an introduction to big data and Apache Hadoop fundamentals. It then covers the Hadoop Distributed Filesystem and how to get started with Hadoop. The journey continues with interfaces to access HDFS files, resource management with Yet Another Resource Negotiator, and MapReduce for data processing. The book also explores Hive architecture, storage types, and the Hive query language.Mastering these concepts is vital for creating scalable big data solutions. This book ensures a smooth transition from novice to proficient Hadoop and Hive user, providing practical skills and comprehensive knowledge. By the end, readers will be able to set up, configure, and optimize Hadoop, utilize Hive for data management, and effectively solve big data challenges.

Data Literacy With Python. A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Analyzing Data with Python

Mercury Learning and Information, Oswald Campesato

This book ushers readers into the world of data, emphasizing its importance in modern industries and how its management leads to insightful decision-making. Using Python 3, the book introduces foundational data tasks and progresses to advanced model training concepts. Detailed, step-by-step Python examples help readers master training models, starting with the kNN algorithm and moving to other classifiers with minimal code adjustments. Tools like Sweetviz, Skimpy, Matplotlib, and Seaborn are introduced for hands-on chart and graph rendering.The course begins with working with data, detecting outliers and anomalies, and cleaning datasets. It then introduces statistics and progresses to using Matplotlib and Seaborn for data visualization. Each chapter builds on the previous one, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of data management and analysis.These concepts are crucial for making data-driven decisions. This book transitions readers from basic data handling to advanced model training, blending theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Companion files with source code and data sets enhance the learning experience, making this book an invaluable resource for mastering data science with Python.

Optimization Using Linear Programming. A Practical Guide to Mastering Linear Programming Techniques

Mercury Learning and Information, A. J. Metei, Veena Jain

This book is designed for engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists, financial analysts, and anyone interested in using numerical linear algebra, matrix theory, and game theory to solve applied problems efficiently. It emphasizes solving linear programming problems with software like MS-Excel, Mathematica, MATLAB, WinQSB, and LINDO, while providing the necessary definitions and theorems for mastering theoretical aspects.The journey begins with basics of linear algebra using MS-Excel, followed by an introduction to linear programming problems and the graphical method. It then delves into the simplex method, duality, and sensitivity analysis. The course covers transportation, transshipment, assignment problems, and concludes with game theory. Each chapter builds on the previous one, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the topics.Understanding these concepts is crucial for solving complex applied problems. This book transitions readers from basic to advanced techniques in numerical linear algebra and linear programming, combining theoretical knowledge with practical applications. It is an essential resource for mastering these topics and maximizing efficiency in problem-solving.