Big Data

Introduction to Basic Statistics

Pat Hammett, Ph.D.

2005

Instructor Comments: This document contains an overview of basic probability and statistics. It also includes a practice test at the end of the document. Note: answers to the practice test questions are included in an appendix.

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Pat Hammett

University of Michigan

Table of Contents 1. VARIABLES- QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE......................3 1.1 Qualitative Data (Categorical Variables or Attributes) ........................... 3 1.2 Quantitative Data............................................................................................... 4 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS.................................................6 2.1 Sample Data versus Population Data ................................................................... 6 2.2 Parameters and Statistics..................................................................................... 6 2.3 Location Statistics (measures of central tendency) ...................................... 7 2.4 Dispersion Statistics (measures of variability) ............................................... 8 FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS ........................................... 10 3.1 Frequency Measures.............................................................................................. 10 3.2 Histogram .................................................................................................................11 3.3 Discrete Histogram............................................................................................... 12 3.4 Continuous Data Histogram ................................................................................. 13 NORMAL DISTRIBUTION ................................................. 15 4.1 Properties of the Normal Distribution ............................................................. 15 4.2 Estimating Probabilities Using Normal Distribution ..................................... 16 4.3 Calculating Parts Per Million