Workshop participants will use the "R" statistical computing package. R is freely available for PC, Mac and Linux computers. Participants should install R before the workshop, following the instructions below. Those who encounter difficulties are encouraged to come early on March 12 (between 5:00 and 6:00) to get assistance with installing.
Several add-on packages will be used in R.
Participants are also encouraged to install RStudio, a free set of integrated tools that make R more productive.
Installation instructions
R installation:
1. Go to http://cran.r-project.org/
2. Under the heading "Download and Install R", select your computing platform.
3. Download and install the binaries for the "base" version of R
RStudio installation:
1. First install R following the instructions above.
2. Go to http://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/
3. Choose your computing platform under the heading "Installers for ALL Platforms" to download the installer.
4. Install RStudio using the downloaded file.
R packages:
Packages can be installed from either R or RStudio. Once you install a package in either R or RStudio, it will work in both. You should install the "ISLR" "glmnet" and "randomForest" packages. NOTE that ISLR was not included in the original instructions. In RStudio use Tools > Install Packages...
If you are asked for a "CRAN mirror" you can select something close, like "Canada (NS)"
In R:
1. Select the menu Packages > Install Package(s)
2. Select the packages to install (glmnet, randomForest) and click on "OK"
In RStudio:
1. Select the menu Tools > Install Packages
2. Enter the package names (glmnet, randomForest) and click on "Install"