math215 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Frequency Distribution, Time Series, Convenience Store
Document Summary
Unit 1 introduces the fields of statistics; presents many of the terms used throughout this course; and examines common methods employed to organize, display and summarize data. Typically, the statistics practitioner, faced with a specific problem, research objective or decision, begins his or her work by collecting a body of numerical facts, called raw data, through surveys, observation, or internal or external information sources. After gathering this data, the practitioner must organize it in an orderly fashion and present the results in such a way that coherent, relevant information about the problem, objective or decision emerges. The set of methods used to organize, display and describe data is called descriptive statistics, and is the subject of this unit. As the seemingly unrelated raw data takes on a meaningful form, we can appreciate how these numbers say something about our lives, our society and our universe. Unit 1 of mathematics 215 consists of the sections listed below.