The Digital Era 1 Big Data Stakes

For 200 years, industry mastered iron, fire, strength and energy. Today, electronics shapes our everyday objects, integrating chips: computers, phones, keys, games, household appliances, etc.

Data, software and calculation frame the conduct of humankind, and everything is translated into data. The first volume in this series analyzes the stakes of the massive data which accumulate on the Internet, keeping track of our actions and gestures, the state of the world and our knowledge.

Note to Reader ix
Jean-Pierre CHAMOUX

Preface xi
Jean-Pierre CHAMOUX

Introduction xvii
Jean-Pierre CHAMOUX

Part 1 What’s New and Why? 1

Introduction to Part 1 3

Chapter 1 Digital Omnipresence: Its Causes and Consequences 5
Jean-Pierre CHAMOUX

From analog to digital 7

Computerization, prior to the digital revolution 8

The Internet, a real breakthrough factor 9

Importance of competition 11

Highly regulated communication infrastructure and services 14

Changes in European markets 18

From crisis to American rebound 20

Telephone and Internet companies 22

Summary 23

Bibliography 27

Appendix The 2000 crisis: lessons and industrial consequences 28

Chapter 2 Mathematical Culture and Massive Data 35
Jean DHOMBRES

The Turing machine, the inspiration for massive data? 39

What does “calculable” mean? 42

From natural to mathematics 46

An ancient algorithm and its programming: gcd 48

Styles of mathematization 51

Mathematics, algorithms and measures of complexity 55

Representations of communities and massive data 58

Constraints of mathematization 62

The notion of the invariant: perspective,vectorial, linear algebra and matrix representation 66

Graphs, their calculations and some algorithms 69

Conclusion 72

Bibliography 74

Chapter 3 From Sample to Big Data: Competing or Complementary Paradigms? 77
Philippe TASSI

Sampling and big data: useful synergy 79

Is this an ephemeral or sustainable phenomenon 84

How can data confidentiality be guaranteed? 89

Protecting personal data 95

How to conclude? 101

Bibliography 102

Chapter 4 Researching Forms and Correlations:the Big Data Approach 105
Gilles SANTINI

Deconstruction and accumulation of data 107

Massive databases 107

Playing games with the devil? 109

A case study 110

The protection of privacy 112

Automatic processing 113

Conclusion 113

Bibliography 114

Chapter 5 Bitcoin: an Innovative System 115
Gérard DRÉAN

Bitcoin and bitcoin: some key concepts 117

The Bitcoin system 118

The transactions register 121

Overview 124

Reliability and safety 125

Software changes 127

Fraud and control takeover 128

Evolution of Bitcoin and peer-to-peer payment 129

In summary 131

Bibliography 131

Part 2 Tactics and Strategies 133

Introduction to Part 2 135

Chapter 6 Bitcoin and Other Cyber-currency 137
Gérard DRÉAN

Introduction 139

Bitcoin, the first cyber-currency 139

New tools of exchange 143

The problem of growth 144

Towards a refoundation? 146

Cyberspace and sovereign currencies 151

Competition between payment systems 153

Competition between units of account 156

Conclusion 159

Bibliography 161

Chapter 7 Health and Care: Digital Challenges 163
Isabelle HILALI

What are we talking about? 165

Major changes for physicians 165

What about the patients? 168

New challenges for medication 168

Hospitals, clinics and nursing homes 171

Will we be able to insure health tomorrow? 172

The challenges of digital healthcare 174

Conclusion 178

Bibliography 180

Chapter 8 Access to Health Data:Debates and Controversies in France 183
Joumana BOUSTANY, Gabriella SALZANO and Christian BOURRET

Methodology 185

Literature review 186

Information systems in France 188

Restricted and controlled access systems 190

Restricted access systems 193

Open information systems 194

Going towards an opening of health data? 196

Conclusion 197

Bibliography 198

Appendix Main acronyms used in this chapter 199

Chapter 9 Artificial Intelligence: Utopia or Progress? 203
Jean-Pierre CHAMOUX

Before computers, there were robots 205

What does artificial intelligence cover? 207

Ambitions of artificial intelligence 209

From machines to humanity 212

Myths associated with artificial intelligence 215

Assessing the intelligence of a machine? 217

Concluding reflections 218

Bibliography 221

Appendices 223

Appendix 1 225

Appendix 2 227

List of Authors 229

Index of Names and Brands 231

Index of Notions 233

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