Skip to main content
Statistics LibreTexts

1: Introduction to Statistics

  • Page ID
    499
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    In this chapter we will introduce some basic terminology and lay the groundwork for the course. We will explain in general terms what statistics and probability are and the problems that these two areas of study are designed to solve.

    • 1.1: Basic Definitions and Concepts
      Statistics is a study of data: describing properties of data (descriptive statistics) and drawing conclusions about a population based on information in a sample (inferential statistics). The distinction between a population together with its parameters and a sample together with its statistics is a fundamental concept in inferential statistics. Information in a sample is used to make inferences about the population from which the sample was drawn.
    • 1.2: Overview
      Statistics computed from samples vary randomly from sample to sample. Conclusions made about population parameters are statements of probability.
    • 1.3: Presentation of Data
      In this book we will use two formats for presenting data sets. Data could be presented as the data list or in set notation.
    • 1.E: Introduction to Statistics (Exercises)
      These are homework exercises to accompany the Textmap created for "Introductory Statistics" by Shafer and Zhang.



    This page titled 1: Introduction to Statistics is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anonymous via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.