Statistics

Definition

Statistics is the science of collecting, analyzing, interpreting, presenting, and organizing data. It involves using mathematical theories and methodologies to draw conclusions or make predictions based on data.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Statistics can be divided into descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.
2. Descriptive statistics summarize and describe the features of a dataset.
3. Inferential statistics use a random sample of data taken from a population to describe and make inferences about the population.
4. Common measures in descriptive statistics include mean, median, mode, variance, and standard deviation.
5. Sampling methods are crucial for gathering representative data to ensure accurate statistical analysis.

Review Questions

• What are the two main branches of statistics?
• How do descriptive statistics differ from inferential statistics?
• Why is sampling important in statistical analysis?

Related terms

Descriptive Statistics:

A branch of statistics that summarizes and describes features of a dataset through measures such as mean, median, mode, variance, and standard deviation.

Inferential Statistics:

A branch of statistics that makes inferences about populations using data drawn from a sample.

Sampling:

$The process of selecting a subset (sample) from a larger set (population) to estimate characteristics of the whole population.$