Practical Data Analysis with JMP®

Probability Theory and Data Analysis

In the prior chapters we've discussed ways to summarize collections of data visually and numerically. At this point our attention turns from the analysis of empirical information—data collected through observation—to the consideration of some useful theoretical constructs and models. Probability theory is a large and useful body of material and is the subject of entire courses in its own right. In an elementary applied statistics course, and in this book, probability is especially germane in two respects. First, sometimes the goal of data analysis is to approximate the likelihoods of events or outcomes that are important to a decision-maker. For example, people who plan communications or transportation networks ...