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2 - Statistical Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2017

Alan D. Chave
Affiliation:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
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Summary

The probability density function for discrete and continuous random variances is defined, and related to the probability concepts from Chapter 1. The cumulative distribution function is introduced and its properties are outlined. The inverse cumulative distribution function is explained, leading to the quantiles of a distribution. The characteristic function and conditional probability distribution are defined, and their applications are explained. The important concepts of independent and exchangeable random variables are specified; the latter underlies the nonparametric and resampling estimators described in later chapters. Transformation of a distribution between functions of a random variable is illustrated . Key population measures of location, dispersion, shape, direction and association are described. The conditional expected value and variance are defined, leading to the Laws of Total Expectation, Variance and Covariance. The Markov, Chebyhev and Hoeffding's probability inequalities used throughout statistics are derived, and the concept of convergence of random variables is elucidated.
Type
Chapter
Information
Computational Statistics in the Earth Sciences
With Applications in MATLAB
, pp. 1 - 17
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2017

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  • Statistical Concepts
  • Alan D. Chave, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
  • Book: Computational Statistics in the Earth Sciences
  • Online publication: 06 October 2017
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316156100.003
Available formats
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  • Statistical Concepts
  • Alan D. Chave, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
  • Book: Computational Statistics in the Earth Sciences
  • Online publication: 06 October 2017
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316156100.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Statistical Concepts
  • Alan D. Chave, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
  • Book: Computational Statistics in the Earth Sciences
  • Online publication: 06 October 2017
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316156100.003
Available formats
×