Chapter 1

Evaluating Data in the Real World

In This Chapter

arrow Introducing statistical concepts

arrow Generalizing from samples to populations

arrow Getting into probability

arrow Making decisions

arrow New and old features in Excel 2013

arrow Understanding important Excel Fundamentals

The field of statistics is all about decision-making — decision-making based on groups of numbers. Statisticians constantly ask questions: What do the numbers tell us? What are the trends? What predictions can we make? What conclusions can we draw?

To answer these questions, statisticians have developed an impressive array of analytical tools. These tools help us to make sense of the mountains of data that are out there waiting for us to delve into, and to understand the numbers we generate in the course of our own work.

The Statistical (And Related) Notions You Just Have to Know

Because intensive calculation is often part and parcel ...

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