What Is Statistics

Statistics can be defined as “ the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and interpretation of numerical facts of data, and that, by use of mathematical theories of probability, imposes order and regularity on aggregates of more or less disparate elements” (Dictionary.com, LLC, 2008). Yet how do we use these specific elements in our everyday working lives? Many don’t realize the extent to which we as a culture base our decisions on statistics. We us them in something as small as predicting the outcome of a game or number of points that a team will score. Statistics surrounds us in many ways and in many forms. As the American Statistical Association president Jon Kettenring stated, "I like to think of statistics as the science of learning from data...It presents exciting opportunities for those who work as professional statisticians. Statistics is essential for the proper running of government, central to decision making in industry, and a core component of modern educational curricula at all levels" (American Statistical Association, 2008). Information on statistics helps in many ways and in many different departments. The first area is in Surveys. Statistical information is used in collecting information in which must be very carefully selected in a specific manor in order to come up with the most conclusive end product. From this information they can give out the collected details to a certain population. Some good examples of Surveys is in which they collect information from an area on political candidates and see which is more popular as well as giving estimations on the number of children living in a certain school district. (American Statistical Association, 2008) In the area of Statistics one of the major areas that today we are using is Government operations. In this area they can administer different tests to provide information for developing social programs and public policy. Very relevant to what we need right now is

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