Re: Big data profits?
Google used to use probability theory and Bayes statistics. All of their early big data work is specifically designed to service problems from that space. Note the "used to" - this was the case when it had the Google internal culture, not Doubleclick one. That also worked.
I am not quite sure what either one of them use now, but the amount of money they are throwing into AI and specifically neural networks is indicative of them no longer having the brainpower to try to figure out the underlying proper math from Probability Theory, Optimal Control, Bayes Statistics, etc. So instead of figuring out the math (which requires educated brainpower) everything is thrown into the big data numbercruncher.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
