Atoms & Abstractions

Being able to distinguish between simple and complex data types is an important basic skill for data science. There are generally two types of data. There is a single number that, by itself needs no interpretation. It is atomic in that it is irreducible and we can refer to it as a singular object or element. Atomic elements may also be referred to as foundational or primitive elements. Conversely, there are complex data that are the organization of a collection of both primitive and other complex elements, as well as functions. Such element organizations may be referred to as abstract data types or simply abstractions and are often symbolized by a name.