A Panorama of Statistics: Perspectives, Puzzles and Paradoxes in Statistics PDF
Preview A Panorama of Statistics: Perspectives, Puzzles and Paradoxes in Statistics
A Panorama of Statistics A Panorama of Statistics Perspectives, puzzles and paradoxes in statistics Eric Sowey The University of NSW, Sydney, Australia Peter Petocz Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia This edition first published 2017 © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Registered Office John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom Editorial Offices 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, United Kingdom The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom For details of our global editorial offices, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley‐blackwell. The right of each of the two authors to be identified as an author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author(s) have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services and neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication data applied for ISBN: 9781119075820 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Cover image: Jeffrey Smart, Container train in landscape (1983–84), Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia. Reproduced by permission of the Estate of Jeffrey Smart. Set in 10/12.5pt Warnock by SPi Global, Pondicherry, India 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ES To Anne, Helen, Michelle and David PP To Anna vii Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Part I Introduction 1 1 Why is statistics such a fascinating subject? 3 2 How statistics differs from mathematics 13 3 Statistical literacy – essential in the 21st century! 20 4 Statistical inquiry on the web 26 Part II Statistical description 33 5 Trustworthy statistics are accurate, meaningful and relevant 35 6 Let’s hear it for the standard deviation! 43 7 Index numbers – time travel for averages 50 8 The beguiling ways of bad statistics I 59 9 The beguiling ways of bad statistics II 66 Part III Preliminaries to inference 75 10 Puzzles and paradoxes in probability 77 11 Some paradoxes of randomness 84 viii Contents 12 Hidden risks for gamblers 91 13 Models in statistics 99 14 The normal distribution: history, computation and curiosities 107 Part IV Statistical inference 115 15 The pillars of applied statistics I – estimation 117 16 The pillars of applied statistics II – hypothesis testing 122 17 ‘Data snooping’ and the significance level in multiple testing 129 18 Francis Galton and the birth of regression 135 19 Experimental design – piercing the veil of random variation 141 20 In praise of Bayes 149 Part V Some statistical byways 157 21 Quality in statistics 159 22 History of ideas: statistical personalities and the personalities of statisticians 165 23 Statistical eponymy 178 24 Statistical ‘laws’ 182 25 Statistical artefacts 192 Part VI Answers 197 26 Answers to the chapter questions 199 Index 306
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