R Programming Fundamentals
R is a powerful and popular programming language and open-source software used primarily for statistical computing and data analysis. It was created by Ross Ihaka and Robert Gentleman at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in the mid-1990s. R has gained significant traction in various fields, including data science, machine learning, statistical analysis, and data visualization. Let's investigate into the fundamental aspects of R:
Basic Operations
R supports various arithmetic and logical operations similar to other programming languages. You can perform operations on individual elements, vectors, matrices, and other data structures. Additionally, R allows for element-wise operations, making it suitable for mathematical and statistical computations.
Data Types in R
- R has several basic data types, including numeric, character, logical, integer, and complex.
- Vectors can store elements of the same data type, while lists can contain different types.
- Factors are used to represent categorical data, and data frames store tabular data.
- R's class() function is used to determine the data type of an object.
Variables and Assignment in R
- Variables are used to store data in R.
- The assignment operator <- is used to assign values to variables.
- Variable names can include letters, numbers, periods, and underscores, but should start with a letter.
- Case sensitivity is important in R.
Basic Arithmetic Operations in R
- R supports common arithmetic operations: +, -, *, /, and ^ (exponentiation).
- Element-wise arithmetic applies operations to each element in vectors or matrices.
- Modulus (%%) gives the remainder of division.
- Special functions like sqrt(), abs(), log(), and exp() are available.
Indexing and Subsetting Data in R
- Indexing starts from 1 in R.
- Single square brackets [ ] are used for subsetting, and double brackets [[ ]] are used for extracting a single element.
- Colon (:) generates sequences. E.g., 1:5 creates a vector from 1 to 5.
- Logical indexing and named indexing are also commonly used.
Manipulating Dates and Times in R
- R provides the Date and POSIXct classes to handle dates and times.
- The Sys.Date() function gives the current date.
- Conversion functions like as.Date() and as.POSIXct() transform character strings to date/time objects.
- Date arithmetic is possible using operations like addition and subtraction.
In the subsequent lessons, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the foundational principles underpinning the R programming language. Explore into these lessons, you will acquire an intricate grasp of the essential concepts that form the bedrock of R programming. This structured journey will afford you an opportunity to explore the intricate nuances and core tenets that define the R programming language, thereby enabling you to develop a robust foundation upon which to build your proficiency in this versatile and powerful language.