Descriptive statistics
- Mean
- x̄ = Σx/n
- Sample standard deviation
- s = √(Σ(x − x̄)²/(n − 1))
- Median
- middle value of the sorted data
- z-score
- z = (x − μ)/σ
- Normal distribution
- 68% within ±1σ, 95% within ±2σ
Introductory Statistics: cram pack
Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 12 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.
1Formulas and methods
Probability
- Complement
- P(not A) = 1 − P(A)
- Addition rule
- P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A ∩ B)
- Independent events
- P(A ∩ B) = P(A)·P(B)
- Conditional probability
- P(A|B) = P(A ∩ B)/P(B)
- Binomial
- P(X = k) = C(n,k)·pk(1 − p)n−k
Normal distribution
- z-score
- z = (x − μ)/σ
- Below x
- P(X < x) = Φ(z)
- Above x
- P(X > x) = 1 − Φ(z)
- Between
- Φ(z2) − Φ(z1)
- Percentile
- x = μ + z·σ
Method
- Convert the value to a z-score: z = (x − μ)/σ.
- Look up Φ(z), the area to the left of z.
- For the area to the right use 1 − Φ(z); for an interval subtract the two left areas.
- For a percentile, work backwards: find z for the area, then x = μ + z·σ.
Confidence intervals
- σ known
- x̄ ± z·σ/√n
- σ unknown
- x̄ ± t·s/√n, df = n − 1
- Critical z
- 90%: 1.645, 95%: 1.96, 99%: 2.576
- Sample size
- n = (z·σ/E)², rounded up
Method
- Decide between z (population σ known) and t (only the sample s, with n − 1 degrees of freedom).
- Find the critical value for the confidence level.
- Margin of error: E = critical value × standard deviation/√n.
- Interval: x̄ ± E.
Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
- z-test for a mean
- z = (x̄ − μ0)/(σ/√n)
- t-test for a mean
- t = (x̄ − μ0)/(s/√n), df = n − 1
- Two-sided at 5%
- reject H0 if |z| > 1.96
- Confidence interval
- x̄ ± z·σ/√n
Method
- State H₀ and H₁ and decide whether the test is one- or two-sided.
- Calculate the test statistic: (x̄ − μ₀)/(σ/√n), or with s and t.
- Compare with the critical value, or find the p-value.
- Reject H₀ if the statistic is beyond the critical value (p below α), and state the conclusion in words.
Linear regression & correlation
- Sums of squares
- Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = Σx² − (Σx)²/n, Sxy = Σxy − ΣxΣy/n
- Slope
- b = Sxy/Sxx
- Intercept
- a = ȳ − b·x̄
- Correlation
- r = Sxy/√(SxxSyy)
- Residual
- e = y − ŷ
2Practice problems
1.Descriptive statisticsMedium
Find the sample standard deviation s of the data: 27, 27, 49, 56, 33, 25.
n = 6
s =
2.Descriptive statisticsHard
A quantity is normally distributed with mean 170 and standard deviation 12. What proportion P of values is above 188?
μ = 170σ = 12x = 188
P =
3.ProbabilityMedium
In how many ways N can a committee of 2 people be chosen from a group of 14? The order does not matter.
n = 14k = 2
N =
4.ProbabilityHard
A game costs €3 to play. You win €9 with probability 0.2 and €30 with probability 0.05; otherwise you win nothing. The stake is not returned. Find the expected net gain E(G) per game.
stake = €3€9: p = 0.2€30: p = 0.05
E(G) = €
5.Normal distributionMedium
Drag z so that the shaded area under the standard normal curve, to the right of z, is 0.0122. Find z to two decimals.
A = 0.0122
z =
6.Normal distributionHard
The bag weights are normally distributed with mean 250 g and standard deviation 5 g. Find the value x below which 10% of them lie (the 10th percentile).
μ = 250σ = 5P = 10%
x = g
7.Confidence intervalsMedium
A 99% confidence interval for a mean, based on 50 observations and a known σ, has a margin of error of 2.9. What is the margin of error E₂ of a 95% interval from the same data?
99%n₁ = 50E₁ = 2.995%
E₂ =
8.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 30. How large a sample n do you need so that a 90% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 1.5?
σ = 30E = 1.590%
n =
9.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
6 employees take a typing test before and after a training course. For each person the difference d = after − before (words per minute) is recorded. The mean difference is 9.57 and the standard deviation of the differences is 7.1. Find the paired test statistic t for H₀: μd = 0.
n = 6d̄ = 9.57sd = 7.1
t =
10.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 49 measurements has mean 45.9. The population standard deviation is 15. Find the lower limit L of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 45.9σ = 15n = 4999%
L =
11.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = load in kN and y = extension in mm. Find the coefficient of determination r² of the least-squares line.
n = 5
r² =
12.Linear regression & correlationHard
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. Predict ŷ for x = 6.5.
n = 6x = 6.5
ŷ =
3Solutions
1.Descriptive statistics
Answer: s = 13.12
Descriptive statistics: the mean is the sum divided by n; the median is the middle value of the sorted data (the average of the two middle values when n is even). The sample standard deviation is s = √(Σ(x − x̄)²/(n − 1)). A z-score z = (x − μ)/σ says how many standard deviations a value lies from the mean.
Mean
x̄ = 217/6 = 36.17
Squared deviations
Σ(x − x̄)² = (−9.167)² + (−9.167)² + 12.83² + 19.83² + (−3.167)² + (−11.17)² = 860.8
Standard deviation
s = √(860.8/5) = 13.12
Answer
s = 13.12
2.Descriptive statistics
Answer: P = 0.06681
Descriptive statistics: the mean is the sum divided by n; the median is the middle value of the sorted data (the average of the two middle values when n is even). The sample standard deviation is s = √(Σ(x − x̄)²/(n − 1)). A z-score z = (x − μ)/σ says how many standard deviations a value lies from the mean.
Standardise
z = 1.5
Standard normal table
Φ(1.5) = 0.9332
P = 1 − 0.9332 = 0.06681
Answer
P = 0.06681
3.Probability
Answer: N = 91
Probability: with equally likely outcomes, P(A) = favourable/total. For independent events multiply: P(A and B) = P(A)·P(B). The complement often helps: P(at least one) = 1 − P(none). Binomial: in n independent trials with success probability p, P(X = k) = C(n, k)·pᵏ·(1 − p)ⁿ⁻ᵏ.
Combinations
C(14, 2) = (14·13)/(2·1) = 91
Answer
N = 91
4.Probability
Answer: E(G) = 0.3 €
Discrete random variables: a probability distribution lists every value x a variable can take with its probability p(x); the probabilities are between 0 and 1 and add up to 1. The expected value (mean) is E(X) = Σx·p(x), the long-run average. The variance is Var(X) = Σ(x − μ)²·p(x) = E(X²) − μ², and the standard deviation σ = √Var(X). For a linear change Y = aX + b: E(Y) = a·E(X) + b, Var(Y) = a²·Var(X) and σY = |a|·σX; adding a constant does not change the spread.
Net outcomes
G: 6 (p = 0.2), 27 (p = 0.05), −3 (p = 0.75)
Expected value
E(G) = 6·0.2 + 27·0.05 − 3·0.75 = 0.3 €
Answer
E(G) = 0.3 €
A positive value means you win money on average.
5.Normal distribution
Answer: z = 2.25
From an area back to z: Φ(z) is the area to the left of z. For a left-tail area A, find z with Φ(z) = A in the table. A right-tail area A means Φ(z) = 1 − A. A central area A between −z and z leaves (1 − A)/2 in each tail, so Φ(z) = (1 + A)/2. For a value x, use x = μ + zσ.
Area to the left of z
Φ(z) = 1 − 0.0122 = 0.9878
Read the z-table backwards
Find 0.9878 inside the table and read off z.
z = 2.25
Answer
z = 2.25
6.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 243.6 g
Normal distribution: convert a value x to a z-score, z = (x − μ)/σ, which counts standard deviations from the mean. A z-table (or Φ(z)) gives the area to the left of z, which is P(X < x). The area to the right is 1 − Φ(z), and the area between two values is the difference of their two areas.
z for the percentile
Φ(z) = 0.1 → z = −1.282
Back to x
x = 250 + −1.282·5 = 243.59 g
Answer
x = 243.59 g
7.Confidence intervals
Answer: E₂ = 2.207
Confidence interval for a mean: x̄ ± margin of error. With a known population σ the margin is z·σ/√n; with only the sample standard deviation s, use t with n − 1 degrees of freedom: t·s/√n. Critical values: z = 1.645 (90%), 1.96 (95%), 2.576 (99%). To get a margin E or smaller, you need n ≥ (z·σ/E)², rounded up.
Ratio of margins
E₂/E₁ = (1.96/2.576)·√(50/50) = 0.7609
New margin
E₂ = 2.9·0.7609 = 2.207
Answer
E₂ = 2.207
8.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 1083
Confidence interval for a mean: x̄ ± margin of error. With a known population σ the margin is z·σ/√n; with only the sample standard deviation s, use t with n − 1 degrees of freedom: t·s/√n. Critical values: z = 1.645 (90%), 1.96 (95%), 2.576 (99%). To get a margin E or smaller, you need n ≥ (z·σ/E)², rounded up.
Solve for n
n = (1.645·30/1.5)² = 1082
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 1083
Answer
n = 1083
9.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 3.302
Testing a mean: the test statistic measures how many standard errors the sample mean lies from the value claimed in H₀: z = (x̄ − μ₀)/(σ/√n) when σ is known, t = (x̄ − μ₀)/(s/√n) when it is estimated from the sample. A confidence interval is x̄ ± (critical value)·(standard error).
Standard error of the mean difference
SE = 7.1/√6 = 2.899
Test statistic
t = 9.57/2.899 = 3.302
Answer
t = 3.302
With df = 5, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.571; |t| is larger, so H₀ is rejected.
10.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: L = 40.38
Testing a mean: the test statistic measures how many standard errors the sample mean lies from the value claimed in H₀: z = (x̄ − μ₀)/(σ/√n) when σ is known, t = (x̄ − μ₀)/(s/√n) when it is estimated from the sample. A confidence interval is x̄ ± (critical value)·(standard error).
Margin of error
E = 2.576·15/√49 = 5.52
Interval limit
L = 45.9 − 5.52 = 40.38
Answer
L = 40.38
11.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r² = 0.9804
Least-squares regression: with x̄ and ȳ the means, Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)², Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² and Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ), the line ŷ = a + b·x has slope b = Sxy/Sxx and intercept a = ȳ − b·x̄, so it always passes through (x̄, ȳ). Pearson's correlation coefficient r = Sxy/√(Sxx·Syy) lies between −1 and 1; r² is the fraction of the variation in y explained by the line.
Means
x̄ = 30/5 = 6
ȳ = 43/5 = 8.6
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 80
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 163.2
Coefficient of determination
r² = 80²/(40·163.2) = 0.9804
Answer
r² = 0.9804
About 98.04% of the variation in y is explained by the line.
12.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 83.12
Least-squares regression: with x̄ and ȳ the means, Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)², Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² and Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ), the line ŷ = a + b·x has slope b = Sxy/Sxx and intercept a = ȳ − b·x̄, so it always passes through (x̄, ȳ). Pearson's correlation coefficient r = Sxy/√(Sxx·Syy) lies between −1 and 1; r² is the fraction of the variation in y explained by the line.
Means
x̄ = 27/6 = 4.5
ȳ = 424/6 = 70.67
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 109
Regression line
b = 109/17.5 = 6.229
a = 70.67 − 6.229·4.5 = 42.64
ŷ = 42.64 + 6.229·x
Prediction
ŷ = 42.64 + 6.229·6.5 = 83.12
Answer
ŷ = 83.12
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