Class summary: Statistics and Lists

In terms of content, this class largely followed the From Tables to Lists chapter, though with different examples.

For the sequence of exercises for this class, look at the starter file, which provides the data and summaries of all the problems we worked on.

What are the key take-aways from the problems we worked on?

The extract operator converts a column to a new datatype, called a list, on which there are many useful built-in functions for summarizing data.
As you start working with larger datasets (like the presidents table), checking your answers can be painful. Write small tables for testing.
Create functions for all but trivial computations on table rows. Functions can be tested outside the context of tables.
Our computations now mix operations on tables and operations on lists, numbers, etc. When faced with a new problem, start by identifying the various tasks that the problem needs you to perform, then think about which operations help with each task. Do this before you write code to help you plan out your programs.