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Mathematics of Data Science & AI

Develop robust, reliable and explainable mathematical models and machine learning algorithms for analysing data arising in diverse applications and building the mathematics behind AI.

Artificial intelligence is moving fast, with new ideas and techniques continually extending the capabilities of existing methods. In our increasingly digital world where data is everywhere, how do we ensure algorithms are robust, reliable, and explainable? The specialisation in Mathematics of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence offers a deep understanding of the algorithms that drive contemporary AI. By combining mathematical depth with practical insight, you will be prepared to turn fundamental ideas into impactful AI systems. You will learn to navigate real-world constraints, scalable algorithms, and large-scale data processing to build the mathematics behind tomorrow’s AI.

When developing algorithms and methods in data science, many intricate choices are to be made. Should we favor performance, or explainability? How much structure should we assume, and how much should we let the data speak for itself? In this specialisation, you will learn how to navigate these questions guided by mathematical principles.

José Alberto Iglesias Martínez, Assistant Professor

What is Mathematics of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence?

This specialisation takes a two-pronged approach. You will gain a deep understanding of current state-of-the-art techniques – including modern large language models – while looking beyond current trends to grasp the mathematical foundations of modern AI.

You will study theoretical foundations drawing on areas such as statistics, optimisation, deep learning, and reinforcement learning. This enables you to understand not only how methods work, but why they work. You will learn to identify the mathematical structure of complex problems, assess the strengths and limitations of existing methods, and gain the insight needed to analyse, improve, and design new algorithms yourself. Ultimately, this equips you for a wide range of careers, from research and development to advanced industry roles where understanding matters as much as implementation.

Examples of courses you (can) follow during this specialisation:

  • Want to master the mathematics driving modern deep learning? In the course Deep Learning: from Theory to Practice, you will delve into modelling, optimisation, and generalisability – exploring the foundations behind applications in computer vision, robotics, NLP, and generative AI.
  • Assessing air quality, predicting weather patterns, or analysing the epicentres of earthquakes. The course Spatial Statistics is key to the analysis of spatially correlated data, laying the mathematical foundations for these purposes.
  • Learning how to make decisions under uncertainty is the key challenge in, for instance, allocating resources in health care, navigating robots, and implementing dynamic pricing strategies. The Reinforcement Learning course bridges rigorous theory with these real-world applications.

With your ability to understand and develop reliable, robust mathematical AI methods, you will be a great asset to companies and organisations across a variety of fields. Your knowledge is especially relevant in sectors where data inference must be combined with underlying mathematical structures, such as in digital twin technology and medical imaging. In sensitive use cases like personalised patient diagnoses, explainability and robustness guarantees are crucial.

Furthermore, more classical data science applications will also be well within your reach. These range from detecting fraudulent transactions in the financial sector to advancing text-based techniques like natural language processing and large language models, or predicting power consumption for the optimisation of energy distribution in large-scale industry.

AI for Health

If you are interested in learning how data science can fundamentally impact healthcare through a hands-on including case studies and a master project close to direct applications, you can choose to focus your specialisation on a specific profile: Artificial Intelligence for Health

More information

What will you learn?

 As a graduate of this Master's and this specialisation, you have acquired specific, scientific knowledge and skills and values, which you can put to good use in your future job.

Knowledge

After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

  • have in-depth knowledge of the mathematical principles and structures behind modern artificial intelligence methods;
  • comprehend the statistical foundations of data science and artificial intelligence methods, and of the underlying complex phenomena and structures present in data;
  • can implement algorithms for data analysis in state-of-the-art programming languages for statistical computing and data visualisation.
Skills

After successfully finishing this Master’s specialisation, you:

  • are able to design, analyse, and implement mathematical models and algorithms for data science and AI, and apply them to extract information, support decision-making, and solve complex problems;
  • possess a thorough understanding of the mathematical foundations underlying methods in data science and AI, and are able to interpret, assess, and justify the outcomes of corresponding algorithms;
  • are able to critically evaluate, validate, and improve AI models with respect to mathematical soundness, reliability, robustness, and performance;
  • are able to collaborate effectively with domain specialists by analysing problem requirements and communicating methodologies, assumptions, and results in a clear, precise, and transparent manner.
Values

After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:

  • ensure transparency in methodologies and make analyses reproducible for peer validation and improvement;
  • display critical thinking towards data-driven decision processes, considering the explainability, robustness, and generalisability of the methods employed;
  • are able to identify and mitigate biases in data, algorithms, and the interpretations your data analyses are based on.

Other master’s and specialisations

Is this specialisation not exactly what you’re looking for? Maybe one of the other specialisations suits you better. Or find out more about these other related Master’s: