MATH 203 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Observational Study, Descriptive Statistics, Selection Bias

• School: McGill University
• Department: Mathematics & Statistics (Sci)
• Course: MATH 203
• Professor: Patrick Reynolds

Document Summary

It involves collecting, classifying, summarizing, organizing, analyzing, presenting, and interpreting numerical information. Descriptive statistics - utilizes numerical and graphical methods to look for patterns in a data set, to summarize the information revealed in a data set, and to present that information in a convenient form. Inferential statistics - utilizes sample data to make estimates, decisions, predictions, or other generalizations about a larger set of data. Fundamental elements: experimental unit: an object used to collect data, population: a set of units studied, variable: characteristic property of an individual experimental unit in a population, sample: sub-set of units in a population. Ex: pepsi wanted to know people"s cola preference. Statistical inference estimate, prediction, or some other generalization about a population based on information contained in a sample. Measure of reliability statement (usually quantitative) about the degree of uncertainty associated with statistical inference.