This chapter is about data-centric algorithms and, in particular, it focuses on three aspects of data-centric algorithms: storage, streaming, and compression. This chapter starts with a brief overview of data-centric algorithms, then we will discuss various strategies that can be used in data storage. Next, how to apply algorithms to streaming data is described, then different methodologies to compress data are discussed. Finally, we will learn how we can use the concepts developed in this chapter to monitor the speeds of cars traveling on a highway using a state-of-the-art sensor network.

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to understand the concepts and trade-offs involved in the design of various data-centric algorithms.

This chapter discusses the following concepts:

• Data classification
• Data storage algorithms
• How to use algorithms to compress data
• How to use algorithms to stream data

Let's first introduce the basic concepts.