Preface Preface
Statistics is the study of data. More formally, Merriam-Webster defines statistics as a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data. In this course, we will break our examination of statistics up into several chapters. These are:
Collecting and Describing Data
Understanding Probability and Randomness
Probability Distributions
Estimation of Means and Proportions
Tests of Significance for Means and Proportions
Other Tests of Significance
In chapter 1 we will learn how to collect and describe (present) data. This is usually referred to as descriptive statistics. Chapters 2 and 3 introduce us to randomness and help us better understand chance. Finally, in chapters 4, 5, and 6 we will apply what we learned about randomness to the analysis and interpretation of data. In particular, we will learn how to make inferences about a population based on data we collect and describe for a sample. These chapters are referred to collectively as inferential statistics.