Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T16:52:18.871Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Statistical Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2017

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

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • 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 Dropbox

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 Dropbox.

  • 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
×