Chapter 8 - Graphics for Data

Abstract

This chapter presents various ways to illustrate data with 2D and 3D graphics. A basic situation encountered when plotting data is one or more time series, that is, data sets with one dependent variable and time as the independent variable. Other plotting commands for data include bar chart, histograms, dot plot, box whisker plot, and pie chart. The chapter comprises basic plots: scatter plots, bar charts, and many more. With basic plots, the chapter explains built-in plots, such as list plot, listlineplot, listlogplot, errorlistplot, datelistplot, and many more. In addition, self-made plot graphics and plots of several data sets are also discussed. The basic approach, with ListPlot or PairwiseScatterPlot, is to plot one variable against another variable, thereby yielding a scatter plot or, more generally, a scatter plot matrix. The options and their default values for ListPlot are mostly the same as for Plot. However, ListPlot has five options that Plot does not have. On the other hand, ListPlot does not have some options of Plot that control the sampling of the function to be plotted. A scatter plot matrix is among the best ways to illustrate multidimensional data.