What are the types of statistics?

Statistics is a branch of science that deals with the ability to grasp different outcomes from it and foresee several possibilities of various events.  It is used to capture the various possible indicators of central tendencies and the divergence of various values from the center. The facts and figures are first collected. They are then classified and interpreted by subjected to various different methods and approaches to arrive at conclusions. It basically is the study of the following features: 

• Data collection
• Classification
• Analysis
• Interpretation
• Presentation
• Organization in a specific way.
• Display of numerical methods

Types of Statistics

There are majorly two different types of statistics: 

• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics

Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive Statistics is used to summarise the data through a given set of observations and illustrations. The given data set is summarized from a sample of the population using some of the formulae such as computation of the mean or standard deviation of the given observation. For instance, descriptive statistics are used for the data collection of the number of persons in a city that uses either television or the internet. 

This type of statistics deals with the organization and representation of data. It also describes the given collection of data in the form of tables, graphs, and summary measures. 

Descriptive statistics can also be divided into four different categories, which are as follows:

• Measure of frequency: Indicator of the number of times a particular data occurs.
• Measure of dispersion: Range, variance, and standard deviation are measures of dispersion of the data. 
• Measure of central tendency: Mean, median, and mode are the measure of central tendency of the given data distribution. 
• Measure of position: The measure of position describes the percentile and quartile ranks.

Inferential Statistics

Inferential statistics is basically used to make interpretations of the meaning held by descriptive statistics. The data collection and analysis are followed by the interpretation of the collected facts which is done by using inferential statistics. The summarised data is subjected to statistical analysis to illustrate its meaning further. To summarise, inferential statistics are used to draw conclusions from the data distribution. For instance, inferential statistics can be used in deriving estimates from hypothetical research.

This type of statistics basically allows the person to make use of the data collected. It simulates in making decisions and predictions or even inferences from a specified population.  It grants us permission to give statements that goes beyond the available data or information. 

Inferential Statistics is dependent on the following random variations: 

• Observational errors
• Sampling variation

Sample Questions

Question 1. Mention the use of statistics in real life?

Answer:

Statistics finds usage in the following domains : 

• Collection of data-surveys
• Analysis of data-industries
• Interpretation of data -statistical graphs
• Presentation of data-charts and tables

Question 2. Illustrate an example of statistics. 

Answer:

Let us suppose that in a class, the collection of marks obtained by 50 students is the description of data. If we compute the mean of the collected data, the result obtained is the average of marks of 50 students.Let us assume that the average marks obtained by the 50 students is 88 out of 100, then a conclusion can be drawn about the class result from the mean of the data.

Question 3. Illustrate how statistics can be used in mathematics.

Answer:

Statistics is considered to be a branch of applied mathematics. It uses the probability theory to simplify the sample data that is collected. It can be used to make affirmative or negative decisions concerned with the probability theory.