IDG Contributor Network: Final Four: March Madness data lessons

Each year, as March Madness narrows to the Final Four and millions of Americans’ brackets go bust, diehards and casual fans alike ask themselves: What can this teach us about data mining?It’s a natural question. And it’s an especially important one for those who work with large data sets that contain information about inherently non-uniform entities subject to random forces and influences.You know, like people.Let’s start at the beginning.Why we didn’t win a billion