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32 Big Data Analytics for Connected Vehicles and Smart Cities What Is Big Data? 33

Figure 3.1 Chapter 3 word cloud.

science. It then brings the subject to life from a transportation perspective by
providing some examples of big data sources for transportation. Using the right
approach, the true value of big data can be realized. A good way to explain it is
that data itself is difficult to handle and not very attractive and that its meaning
is well hidden. It’s a lot like the data that forms the basis for music. The notes in
the page and the various musical frequencies come together to form something
that is pleasant to the year as a result of arrangement and orchestration. Data
is brought to life when additional tools and expertise are applied to extract the
desired result. Figure 3.2 illustrates how data and musical notation is converted
to sound by a musician playing a musical instrument resulting in palatable in-
formation in the form of music.

3.4 How Is Big Data Measured?

In the discussion regarding the nature of big data, beginning in Section 3.5, big
data size terms are used to indicate the relative size of big data in various trans-
portation and nontransportation applications. Therefore, before starting to ex-
plore big data, it is useful to include a discussion of how big data is measured.

Figure 3.2 Data to information—a musical analogy.