Near the end of the second century A.D., China's Han dynasty crumbled and left numerous warlords fighting for the throne. By the start of the third century, three kingdoms Shu, Wei, and Wu emerged as contenders for China's rule. These factions would vie for power for the better part of 80 years during what is known as the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.
The most famous military strategist of the era, Zhuge Liang, joined the Shu army in 207 A.D. He is well known for baffling opposing forces with ingenious techniques and cunning tactics. As a result, Zhuge Liang remains a Chinese cultural symbol of intellect and wisdom to this day. In 228 A.D., Zhuge Liang would launch the first of five campaigns against the rival kingdom of Wei. During his fifth, and final, campaign at the Wuzhang Plains, Zhuge Liang fell terminally ill. Following his death in August of 234 A.D., the Shu army was forced to withdraw from its conflict with the kingdom of Wei.
— Taken from Three Kingdoms. Beijing, China: Foreign Language Press; Luo Guanzhong. Translator Moss Roberts.
Prior to his passing, the legendary strategist chose you to succeed him as commander of the Shu forces. Zhuge Liang also left you with secret documents that reveal the knowledge of a powerful data analysis tool.
With your forces currently recuperating in Hanzhong, China, it is your duty to plan the next move. Armed with the late strategist's tool and your talents for data analysis, the fate of the Shu kingdom is in your hands.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe the R Project for Statistical Computing
- Detail how you will benefit from using R
- Explain why R is an essential tool for your work
- Decide why this book is right for you
- List the major topics covered in this book
As the newly appointed strategist for the Shu army, your decisions will impact the lives of many. Great decisions tend not to occur by random chance. Rather, they are a product of knowledge, planning, and sound rationale. A major factor in generating fruitful outcomes is considering the available information and using it to assess your potential courses of action. Fortunately, an essential software tool exists that will help you rise to the occasion and make the most of any situation.
The R Project for Statistical Computing (or just R for short) is a powerful data analysis tool. It is both a programming language and a computational and graphical environment.
R is free, open source software made available under the GNU General Public License. It runs on Mac, Windows, and Unix operating systems.