Theoretical and practical data science and analytics: challenges and solutions

Big data have become a core technology for providing innovative solutions in numerical applications and services in many fields. Embedded in these big data is valuable information and knowledge. This calls for data science and analytics, which has emerged as an important paradigm for driving the new economy and domains (e.g., Internet of Things, social and mobile networks, cloud computing), reforming classic disciplines (e.g., telecommunications, biology, health and social science), as well as upgrading core business and economic activity. In this article, we focus on both theoretical and practical data science and analytics. We summarize and highlight some of its challenges and solutions, which are covered in the eight articles in the current Special Issue on "theoretical and practical data science and analytics."