Sampling
Sampling is a statistical method that involves selecting a subset of individuals, data points, or observations from a larger population to make inferences or estimates about the whole population. It is widely used in data analysis, research, and machine learning to reduce costs, save time, and make data processing feasible when dealing with large datasets. The goal is to ensure the sample is representative of the population to draw accurate conclusions.
Developers should learn sampling when working with big data, conducting A/B testing, or performing data analysis where processing the entire dataset is impractical or resource-intensive. It is essential in machine learning for creating training and validation sets, in web analytics for user behavior analysis, and in quality assurance for testing software with limited resources. Understanding sampling helps in designing efficient algorithms and avoiding biases in data-driven decisions.