what is statistics

11 months ago 50
Nature

Statistics is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. It is a branch of applied mathematics that involves the study and manipulation of data, including ways to gather, review, analyze, and draw conclusions from data. Statistics is a highly interdisciplinary field, and research in statistics finds applicability in virtually all scientific fields.

Key features of statistics include:

  • Descriptive Statistics: This involves the collection, organization, and presentation of data in a way that summarizes its main features.

  • Inferential Statistics: This involves using data from a sample to make inferences about a larger population.

  • Probability: Probability plays an important role in statistics, as it helps to determine the uncertainty and variation in different fields.

  • Sampling: When census data cannot be collected, statisticians collect data by developing specific experiment designs and survey samples. Representative sampling assures that inferences and conclusions can reasonably extend from the sample to the population as a whole.

Statistics is used in a wide range of fields, including science, business, economics, and social sciences, among others. It is used to make informed judgments and evaluations of a wide variety of things encountered in daily life.