The Pleasures of Statistics

The Pleasures of Statistics PDF Author: Frederick Mosteller
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387779566
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
From his unique perspective, renowned statistician and educator Frederick Mosteller describes many of the projects and events in his long career. From humble beginnings in western Pennsylvania to becoming the founding chairman of Harvard University’s Department of Statistics and beyond, he inspired many statisticians, scientists, and students with his unabashed pragmatism, creative thinking, and zest for both learning and teaching. This candid account offers fresh insights into the qualities that made Mosteller a superb teacher, a prolific scholar, a respected leader, and a valued advisor. A special feature of the book is its chapter-length insider accounts of work on the pre-election polls of 1948, statistical aspects of the Kinsey report on sexual behavior in the human male, mathematical learning theory, authorship of the disputed Federalist papers, safety of anesthetics, and a wide-ranging examination of the Coleman report on equality of educational opportunity. This volume is a companion to Selected Papers of Frederick Mosteller (Springer, 2006) and A Statistical Model: Frederick Mosteller’s Contributions to Statistics, Science, and Public Policy (Springer-Verlag, 1990). Frederick Mosteller (1916–2006) was Roger I. Lee Professor of Mathematical Statistics at Harvard University. His manuscript was unfinished at his death and has been updated.

The Pleasures of Statistics

The Pleasures of Statistics PDF Author: Frederick Mosteller
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387779566
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 344

Get Book

Book Description
From his unique perspective, renowned statistician and educator Frederick Mosteller describes many of the projects and events in his long career. From humble beginnings in western Pennsylvania to becoming the founding chairman of Harvard University’s Department of Statistics and beyond, he inspired many statisticians, scientists, and students with his unabashed pragmatism, creative thinking, and zest for both learning and teaching. This candid account offers fresh insights into the qualities that made Mosteller a superb teacher, a prolific scholar, a respected leader, and a valued advisor. A special feature of the book is its chapter-length insider accounts of work on the pre-election polls of 1948, statistical aspects of the Kinsey report on sexual behavior in the human male, mathematical learning theory, authorship of the disputed Federalist papers, safety of anesthetics, and a wide-ranging examination of the Coleman report on equality of educational opportunity. This volume is a companion to Selected Papers of Frederick Mosteller (Springer, 2006) and A Statistical Model: Frederick Mosteller’s Contributions to Statistics, Science, and Public Policy (Springer-Verlag, 1990). Frederick Mosteller (1916–2006) was Roger I. Lee Professor of Mathematical Statistics at Harvard University. His manuscript was unfinished at his death and has been updated.

The Pleasures of Probability

The Pleasures of Probability PDF Author: Richard Isaac
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 146120819X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
The ideas of probability are all around us. Lotteries, casino gambling, the al most non-stop polling which seems to mold public policy more and more these are a few of the areas where principles of probability impinge in a direct way on the lives and fortunes of the general public. At a more re moved level there is modern science which uses probability and its offshoots like statistics and the theory of random processes to build mathematical descriptions of the real world. In fact, twentieth-century physics, in embrac ing quantum mechanics, has a world view that is at its core probabilistic in nature, contrary to the deterministic one of classical physics. In addition to all this muscular evidence of the importance of probability ideas it should also be said that probability can be lots of fun. It is a subject where you can start thinking about amusing, interesting, and often difficult problems with very little mathematical background. In this book, I wanted to introduce a reader with at least a fairly decent mathematical background in elementary algebra to this world of probabil ity, to the way of thinking typical of probability, and the kinds of problems to which probability can be applied. I have used examples from a wide variety of fields to motivate the discussion of concepts.

The Art of Statistics

The Art of Statistics PDF Author: David Spiegelhalter
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541618521
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 359

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Book Description
In this "important and comprehensive" guide to statistical thinking (New Yorker), discover how data literacy is changing the world and gives you a better understanding of life’s biggest problems. Statistics are everywhere, as integral to science as they are to business, and in the popular media hundreds of times a day. In this age of big data, a basic grasp of statistical literacy is more important than ever if we want to separate the fact from the fiction, the ostentatious embellishments from the raw evidence -- and even more so if we hope to participate in the future, rather than being simple bystanders. In The Art of Statistics, world-renowned statistician David Spiegelhalter shows readers how to derive knowledge from raw data by focusing on the concepts and connections behind the math. Drawing on real world examples to introduce complex issues, he shows us how statistics can help us determine the luckiest passenger on the Titanic, whether a notorious serial killer could have been caught earlier, and if screening for ovarian cancer is beneficial. The Art of Statistics not only shows us how mathematicians have used statistical science to solve these problems -- it teaches us how we too can think like statisticians. We learn how to clarify our questions, assumptions, and expectations when approaching a problem, and -- perhaps even more importantly -- we learn how to responsibly interpret the answers we receive. Combining the incomparable insight of an expert with the playful enthusiasm of an aficionado, The Art of Statistics is the definitive guide to stats that every modern person needs.

The Pleasures of Counting

The Pleasures of Counting PDF Author: T. W. Körner
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316025454
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
What is the connection between the outbreak of cholera in Victorian Soho, the Battle of the Atlantic, African Eve and the design of anchors? One answer is that they are all examples chosen by Dr Tom Körner to show how a little mathematics can shed light on the world around us, and deepen our understanding of it. Dr Körner, an experienced author, describes a variety of topics which continue to interest professional mathematicians, like him. He does this using relatively simple terms and ideas, yet confronting difficulties (which are often the starting point for new discoveries) and avoiding condescension. If you have ever wondered what it is that mathematicians do, and how they go about it, then read on. If you are a mathematician wanting to explain to others how you spend your working days (and nights), then seek inspiration here.

The History of Statistics

The History of Statistics PDF Author: Stephen M. Stigler
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674403413
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
Stigler shows how statistics arose from the interplay of mathematical concepts and the needs of several applied sciences. His emphasis is upon how methods of probability theory were developed for measuring uncertainty, for reducing uncertainty, and as a conceptual framework for quantitative studies in the social sciences.

Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics

Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics PDF Author: Neil J. Salkind
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 9781412924825
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
Now in its third edition, this title teaches an often intimidating and difficult subject in a way that is informative, personable, and clear.

Statistics on the Table

Statistics on the Table PDF Author: Stephen M. Stigler
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674009790
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 514

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Book Description
This lively collection of essays examines statistical ideas with an ironic eye for their essence and what their history can tell us for current disputes. The topics range from 17th-century medicine and the circulation of blood, to the cause of the Great Depression, to the determinations of the shape of the Earth and the speed of light.

Statistics As Principled Argument

Statistics As Principled Argument PDF Author: Robert P. Abelson
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1135694419
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
In this illuminating volume, Robert P. Abelson delves into the too-often dismissed problems of interpreting quantitative data and then presenting them in the context of a coherent story about one's research. Unlike too many books on statistics, this is a remarkably engaging read, filled with fascinating real-life (and real-research) examples rather than with recipes for analysis. It will be of true interest and lasting value to beginning graduate students and seasoned researchers alike. The focus of the book is that the purpose of statistics is to organize a useful argument from quantitative evidence, using a form of principled rhetoric. Five criteria, described by the acronym MAGIC (magnitude, articulation, generality, interestingness, and credibility) are proposed as crucial features of a persuasive, principled argument. Particular statistical methods are discussed, with minimum use of formulas and heavy data sets. The ideas throughout the book revolve around elementary probability theory, t tests, and simple issues of research design. It is therefore assumed that the reader has already had some access to elementary statistics. Many examples are included to explain the connection of statistics to substantive claims about real phenomena.

Statistics for High-Dimensional Data

Statistics for High-Dimensional Data PDF Author: Peter Bühlmann
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364220192X
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 558

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Book Description
Modern statistics deals with large and complex data sets, and consequently with models containing a large number of parameters. This book presents a detailed account of recently developed approaches, including the Lasso and versions of it for various models, boosting methods, undirected graphical modeling, and procedures controlling false positive selections. A special characteristic of the book is that it contains comprehensive mathematical theory on high-dimensional statistics combined with methodology, algorithms and illustrations with real data examples. This in-depth approach highlights the methods’ great potential and practical applicability in a variety of settings. As such, it is a valuable resource for researchers, graduate students and experts in statistics, applied mathematics and computer science.

Statistical Models

Statistical Models PDF Author: David A. Freedman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781139477314
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This lively and engaging book explains the things you have to know in order to read empirical papers in the social and health sciences, as well as the techniques you need to build statistical models of your own. The discussion in the book is organized around published studies, as are many of the exercises. Relevant journal articles are reprinted at the back of the book. Freedman makes a thorough appraisal of the statistical methods in these papers and in a variety of other examples. He illustrates the principles of modelling, and the pitfalls. The discussion shows you how to think about the critical issues - including the connection (or lack of it) between the statistical models and the real phenomena. The book is written for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in statistics, as well as students and professionals in the social and health sciences.