Statistical method - lies or objective data to make decisions?

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famous statement in which statistics is one of the 3 kinds of lies and comes after "a lie" and "blatant lies", attributed to Benjamin Disraeli, who was the fortieth and forty-second (periods occur in the 2nd half of the 19th century) British Prime Minister.However, in our time, authorship Disraeli, Mark Twain advertised is denied.But be that as it may, this phrase many experts continue to repeat in his writings and public statements, the disclosure of which are methods of statistical analysis.As a rule, it sounds like a joke, which has only a fraction of a joke ...

Statistics - the industry specific knowledge, which describes the procedure for the collection, analysis and interpretation of large data sets both qualitative and quantitative.It deals with various scientific and practical areas of life.For example, applied statistics help to choose the right statistical method for the treatment of all kinds of data to analyze.Legal work in the field of crime and control.Mathematical develops mathematical methods to organize and use the information in practical or scientific purposes.Demographics describes the patterns of reproduction.Statistics Query mostly deal with the linguists and the Internet.

Using statistical methods goes back at least to the 5th century BCSome of the earliest records contains a book written in the 9th century AD.e.Arabian philosopher, physician, mathematician and musician Al-Kindi.He gave a detailed description of how to use frequency analysis (histogram).New Chronicle relating to the 14th century and tells the story of Florence, considered one of the first works of positive statistics in history.They were made by Florentine banker Giovanni Villani and include a lot of information about the population, management, commerce and trade, education and religious objects.

Early application of statistics is determined desire to build a state demographically and economically sound policies.Its range was expanded at the beginning of the 19th century and included the collection and analysis of data in general.Today, this area of ​​knowledge is widely used government, business, natural and social sciences.Its mathematical foundations, the need for which arose from a study of gambling, were laid in the 17th century with the development of the theory of probability French mathematicians Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat.The statistical method of least squares was first described by Carl Friedrich Gauss around 1794.

rapid and steady growth of computing power, since the second half of the 20th century, has had a significant impact on the development of applied statistics.The computer revolution has placed new emphasis on its experimental and empirical components.Now available a large number of both general and special programs, with which you can easily use in practice, any statistical method, whether checklists, histograms, correlation analysis, checklist, method of stratification, or Ishikawa diagram Pareto analysis.

Today, statistics is one of the key instruments for conducting effective business and production organization.It allows you to understand and measure trends variability, resulting in improved process control, as well as improve the quality of products and services.For example, managers who use statistical methods of quality control, taking, as a rule, informed decisions, thus management is working effectively and bring the expected results.Therefore, the statistics in this case, is the key, and perhaps the only reliable tool.

ability to select and apply the correct statistical method allows reliable conclusions and not to mislead those who provided data analysis.Therefore, frequent references to the old experts statements about 3 degrees of lies should be considered as a warning of the pitfalls that can be misleading and form the basis of decisions taken with devastating consequences.