Operations Research/statistics Techniques: a Key to Quantitative Data Mining

This document reviews the main applications of statistics and operations research techniques to the quantitative aspects of Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, fulfilling a pressing need. Data Mining, one of the most important phases of the Knowledge Discovery in Databases activity, is becoming ubiquitous with the current information explosion. As a result, there is an increasing need for training professionals to work as analysts or to interface with these. On the other hand, such professionals already exist. Statisticians and operations researchers combine three skills widely used in Data Mining: computer applications, systems optimization and data analysis techniques. This review alerts them about the challenging opportunities that, with little extra training, await them in Data Mining. In addition, our review provides other Data Mining professionals, of different backgrounds, a clearer view about the capabilities that statisticians and operations researchers bring to Knowledge Discovery in Databases.