WALTER TUTORIAL SERVICE
BASIC STATISTICS (STA1510) NOTES
STUDY UNIT 1 SUMMARY
Introduction
The objective of basic statistics is to collect, analyse and to draw conclusions about a
population which is based on information that is contained in a sample.
Statistics- is the branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, analysis and
presentation of numerical data.
Two types of statistics
(i) Descriptive statistics- a branch of statistics that deals with the presentation,
collection characterised by different features of the data.
(ii) Inferential statistics- a branch of statistics where we estimate the sample
statistics or draw conclusions about a population parameter.
Sample versus population
Sample- is a subset of population or a fraction.
Population- is the collection of all items or objects that we wish to study.
Parameter versus statistic
Parameter- is a numerical value that summarises a population.
Statistics- is a numerical value that describes the characteristics of a sample and it can
summarise the sample.
Variables
We have two types of variables namely:
(i) Quantitative variables
(ii) Qualitative variables
Quantitative variables- are variables that are measured on a numerical scale.
1|P a g e
BASIC STATISTICS (STA1510) NOTES
STUDY UNIT 1 SUMMARY
Introduction
The objective of basic statistics is to collect, analyse and to draw conclusions about a
population which is based on information that is contained in a sample.
Statistics- is the branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, analysis and
presentation of numerical data.
Two types of statistics
(i) Descriptive statistics- a branch of statistics that deals with the presentation,
collection characterised by different features of the data.
(ii) Inferential statistics- a branch of statistics where we estimate the sample
statistics or draw conclusions about a population parameter.
Sample versus population
Sample- is a subset of population or a fraction.
Population- is the collection of all items or objects that we wish to study.
Parameter versus statistic
Parameter- is a numerical value that summarises a population.
Statistics- is a numerical value that describes the characteristics of a sample and it can
summarise the sample.
Variables
We have two types of variables namely:
(i) Quantitative variables
(ii) Qualitative variables
Quantitative variables- are variables that are measured on a numerical scale.
1|P a g e
