How Is Statistics Different from Mathematics? and Why Is the Distinction Important?
Not my own work but it is fun to read.
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How is Statistics Different from Mathematics?
And Why Is the Distinction Important?
By
Isidoro P. David
Acronyms: CHED-Commission on Higher Education; NHERA-National Higher Education Research Agenda; HEI-Higher Education Institution; PSA- Philippine Statistical Association; SRTC-Statistical Research and Training Center; UPD-SS- University of the Philippines School of Statistics; UPLB-IS- University of the Philippines at Los Banes Institute of Statistics; GAISE- Guidelines for the Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education.
1. Introduction
1. On 9 October 2009 this writer was invited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to join a group “to discuss the state of research, research gaps and priority research areas in the mathematical and statistical sciences”. The group’s deliberations would be inputs to the agency’s National Higher Education Research Agenda Phase 2 (NHERA2) for 2009-2018. Aside from the group’s leader who is a mathematical statistician and yours truly who many acquaintances would consider an applied statistician, the other attendees are mathematicians from universities across the country. The mathematicians pointed out that since they needed only pencil and paper in their research, the low budgets of their proposals submitted for funding under the previous NHERA1 led to very high rejection rates. With the possible exception of a few, we take this observation as true for most Filipino mathematicians.
2. The situation in statistics is just the opposite. Statisticians who rely exclusively on pencil and paper tend to be found in academe and are fast becoming relics. The large majority practice their profession with the aid of vast computing power, collaborate actively with researchers in substantive fields, or employ large numbers of persons. Statisticians in academe do model simulations, resampling techniques and data mining
_________________________________________
How is Statistics Different from Mathematics?
And Why Is the Distinction Important?
By
Isidoro P. David
Acronyms: CHED-Commission on Higher Education; NHERA-National Higher Education Research Agenda; HEI-Higher Education Institution; PSA- Philippine Statistical Association; SRTC-Statistical Research and Training Center; UPD-SS- University of the Philippines School of Statistics; UPLB-IS- University of the Philippines at Los Banes Institute of Statistics; GAISE- Guidelines for the Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education.
1. Introduction
1. On 9 October 2009 this writer was invited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to join a group “to discuss the state of research, research gaps and priority research areas in the mathematical and statistical sciences”. The group’s deliberations would be inputs to the agency’s National Higher Education Research Agenda Phase 2 (NHERA2) for 2009-2018. Aside from the group’s leader who is a mathematical statistician and yours truly who many acquaintances would consider an applied statistician, the other attendees are mathematicians from universities across the country. The mathematicians pointed out that since they needed only pencil and paper in their research, the low budgets of their proposals submitted for funding under the previous NHERA1 led to very high rejection rates. With the possible exception of a few, we take this observation as true for most Filipino mathematicians.
2. The situation in statistics is just the opposite. Statisticians who rely exclusively on pencil and paper tend to be found in academe and are fast becoming relics. The large majority practice their profession with the aid of vast computing power, collaborate actively with researchers in substantive fields, or employ large numbers of persons. Statisticians in academe do model simulations, resampling techniques and data mining
References: Cobb, G.W., & D. Moore. (1997). Mathematics, Statistics, and Teaching. American Mathematical Monthly, 104, 801-823. Fisher, R. A. (1935). The Design of Experiments.. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, UK Garfield, J., & D Moore, D. S. (1998). Statistics Among the Liberal Arts. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 93, 1253–1259. Strategic Review and Evaluation of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS): A Report of the Special Committee to Review the PSS, 2008. www.StatSci.org