Definition:Statistics
Definition
Statistics is the branch of science which studies the collection and analysis of data, and the presentation of organized inferences from that analysis.
It is also concerned with the design of experiments and sample surveys, data reduction, data processing, and various other things.
As such, it can be considered as a form of applied probability theory.
It has been defined as the technology of the scientific method.
Also defined as
In natural language, the word statistics is generally taken to mean facts and figures, graphs and charts, in other words, the tools and outputs of the discipline of statistics.
On $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$, this interpretation of the word is not used.
Instead we use observations or raw data as appropriate, or sample statistic, test statistic and so on, depending on what precise meaning is intended.
Also see
- Results about statistics can be found here.
Sources
- 1963: Alexander M. Mood and Franklin A. Graybill: Introduction to the Theory of Statistics (2nd ed.) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Introduction: $1.1$. Statistics
- 1972: Murray R. Spiegel and R.W. Boxer: Theory and Problems of Statistics (SI ed.) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Variables and Graphs: Statistics
- 1974: H.T. Hayslett, MS: Statistics Made Simple (3rd ed.) ... (next): Chapter $\text {I}$: What is Statistics?
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): statistics: 2.
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): statistics: 2.