Learning Statistics: Concepts and Applications in R

Confront how ALL data has uncertainty, and why statistics is a powerful tool for reaching insights and solving problems. Begin by describing and summarizing data with the help of concepts such as the mean, median, variance, and standard deviation. Learn common statistical notation and graphing techniques, and get a preview of the programming language R, which will be used throughout.

Dip into R, which is a popular open-source programming language for use in statistics and data science. Consider the advantages of R over spreadsheets. Walk through the installation of R, installation of a companion IDE (integrated development environment) RStudio, and how to download specialized data packages from within RStudio.

Study sampling and probability. See how sampling aims for genuine randomness in the gathering of data, and probability provides the tools for calculating the likelihood of a given event based on that data. Solve a range of problems in probability, including a case of medical diagnosis that involves the application of Bayes' theorem.

There's more than one way to be truly random! Delve deeper into probability by surveying several discrete probability distributions - those defined by discrete variables. Examples include Bernoulli, binomial, geometric, negative binomial, and Poisson distributions - each tailored to answer a specific question. Get your feet wet by analyzing several sets of data using these tools.

Focus on the normal distribution, which is the most celebrated type of continuous probability distribution. Characterized by a bell-shaped curve that is symmetrical around the mean, the normal distribution shows up in a wide range of phenomena. Use R to find percentiles, probabilities, and other properties connected with this ubiquitous data pattern.

When are two variables correlated? Learn how to measure covariance, which is the association between two random variables. Then use covariance to obtain a dimensionless number called the correlation coefficient. Using an R data set, plot correlation values for several variables, including the physical measurements of a sample population.