Everything you need to know about differentiation — Derivatives are often a person’s introduction into the world of calculus. And it makes sense. Derivatives are really just an extension of the concepts learned in algebra, trigonometry, etc. However, I think the finer points of derivatives are often overlooked. Calculus is often termed as “difficult” or “complex” so we…

If your linear algebra class was anything like mine, you learned how to describe matrices by computing determinants. However, I found that most courses stop short of fully defining exactly what a matrix determinant is. In this discussion, I hope to provide a deep dive into how to compute determinants…

Throughout my career, I have encountered quite a few statements regarding math as a discipline. I was to discuss three common misconceptions regarding the field of mathematics. Math isn’t used in the real world. Math is used everywhere! It is infused in the very laws of nature. We rely on…

Shedding light on a commonly misunderstood topic in linear algebra — Vector norms are extremely important in certain fields of engineering and mathematics. However, I think the education system often presents norms in a formulaic, “here’s how to calculate it” way as opposed to presenting an intuitive understanding of vector norms. Let’s see if we can remedy that situation with a…

How PostgreSQL transforms a query into data — PostgreSQL is an open-source, relational database system widely used in the software and data communities. It has strong support in the open-source community, ACID-compliant, and it runs on all major operation systems. It is often labeled as the relational database of choice for a large amount of applications. As with…

Debunking five prevailing myths in data engineering — Data engineering is an ever-evolving field. Let’s discuss a few of the most common myths about the industry. MYTH 1: Data engineers never get any credit. This is my favorite myth because I tend to be a very results-oriented person. Any data engineer knows that as soon as a pipeline is broken or behaving unexpectedly, end users begin…

Techniques to create trust in your data solution — A core responsibility of a data engineer is to build data pipelines. The flow of data from one location to another with mutations along the way is a primary focus for any data engineer. However, when you change data, you make people nervous. Even though you are actively changing the…

My transition between two seemingly unrelated fields — The unique field of data engineering Data engineering is unique in that it does not have a formal education requirement. You can have a PhD in physics or no higher education at all. It is the skills and experience that define your ability to succeed as a data engineer. I, myself, have a degree in chemical…

The hidden benefits of code reviews for software developers — Ah, the dreaded code review. A necessary evil despised by all software engineers. To a reviewer, code reviews are just one more task on a to-do list that is already too long. To a reviewee, code reviews act as a barrier preventing any further progress until their code has been…