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MA180: Statistics

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Definition of Statistics(according to Wikipedia)

The study of the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.

It deals with all aspects of data including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments.

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Why Study Statistics?

• Useful in both professional and everyday life.

• Essential part of medicine, psychology, politics engineering, etc.

• Looks great on a Résumé

• List of direct applications: Index of Applications (Textbook, page xxi)

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New Class Format!

• More concentration on statistical software than calculations-by-hand.

• BUT, also more concentration on understanding what the outputs mean!

• 3 credit hours

1. 50-min Lecture

2. 50-min Lab

3. Self study and/or additional lab time in MLL

• Lab will include instructions on using statistical software.

• I will be in the MLL on Fridays for 2 hours (TBA)

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Syllabus

Schedule

Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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In Class Questions• Used to test your understanding of reading/topics

• Doesn’t count as credit, but helps you learn more (thus increasing your grade!)

Example

What was the most Googled Question in 2013?

A.What is Ricin?

B.What is DOMA?

C.What is Twerking?

D.What is Gluten?

Source: Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/17/google-top-search-terms-2013_n_4460102.html

7Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 1Introduction To

Statistics

1.2 Statistical Thinking

1.3 Types of Data

1.4 Critical Thinking

1.5 Collecting Sample Data

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DefinitionsDataCollections of observations (see section 1.3 for types of data).

PopulationThe complete collection of all individuals (data) to be studied.

SampleA sub collection of members selected from a population.

Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Example: The ages of UAB students

Data Each student’s age

Population Every UAB student

Sample This class.

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DefinitionsParameterA numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a population.

StatisticA numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a sample.

Example: Average age of a UAB student

Parameter Average age of every UAB student

Statistic Average age of this class

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General Goals of Statistics

1. Making sense of lots of data– Summary Statistics– Graphing data– Identifying ‘unusual’ occurances

2. Determining characteristics of a population from a sample.– Using a sample statistic to estimate the population parameter.

(Confidence Intervals)– Testing the value of a parameter from a using data from a sample.

(Hypothesis testing).

Naturally, these results will never be 100% accurate.

BUT, we can determine how accurate they are AND how to improve this accuracy

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Course Plan• Basics

– Definitions– Graphing Data– Summary Statistics

• Probability– Core concepts– Rules of Probability– Playing Poker

• Distributions– The way data is ‘shaped’

• Central Limit Theorem!– When everything comes together

• Estimating and Testing using Samples– Confidence Intervals– Hypothesis Testing– ANOVA

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Wednesday’s Class

• Will be held in the Math Learning Lab: HHB 202

• Will setup CourseCompass account and begin practicing homework problems

• Bring your book!!!

• Read Chapters 1 & 2 today or tomorrow.