Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Introduction to Mathematical Statistics

It is the aim of this book to present certain topics of elementary statistical theory which have been found useful and workable.

The statement would seem warranted that no more than the very simplest methods should be used by one who has no knowledge of the principles underlying the methods. Busy though the scientist may be, he owes it to the science and to the persons who may accept his results to have some familiarity with his tools. The blind application of formulas in statistics has been made possible by the convenient manuals that have appeared and has been encouraged by the fact that the theory has been so surrounded by intricate and involved mathematics that it was only by an extended research that a knowledge of the theory could be obtained.

There is no real reason why the theory of statistical methods should remain in obscurity. The necessary mathematics is largely elementary arithmetic and except in a few cases there is no need for higher mathematics. This book presupposes a reasonable familiarity with elementary mathematics only.

Because of the desire to eliminate higher mathematics from the body of the book the discussion of the theory of the Generalized Frequency Curves of Pearson has been deferred to Appendix I. For the same reason a discussion of the promising method of variate differences is omitted, as is the mathematical theory of random selection.

While it is hoped that the statistical data of this book may be of interest in themselves they have been selected solely with reference to their usefulness in illustrating the theory. For this reason all examples and exercises have to do with very simple data. The author will appreciate notice of such numerical and other inaccuracies as may be found.

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