Statistical Description of Data

• Cf. NRiC, Chapter 14.

• Statistics provides tools for understanding data.

  • In the wrong hands these tools can be dangerous!

• Here's a typical data analysis cycle:

  • Apply some formula to data to compute a "statistic".
  • Find where value falls in a probability distribution computed on the basis of some "null hypothesis".
  • If it falls in an unlikely spot (on distribution tail), conclude null hypothesis is false for your data set.

Notes: