Statistics 2: Statistical Inference: cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 10 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Formulas and methods

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

  1. Convert the value to a z-score: z = (x − μ)/σ.
  2. Look up Φ(z), the area to the left of z.
  3. For the area to the right use 1 − Φ(z); for an interval subtract the two left areas.
  4. 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

  1. Decide between z (population σ known) and t (only the sample s, with n − 1 degrees of freedom).
  2. Find the critical value for the confidence level.
  3. Margin of error: E = critical value × standard deviation/√n.
  4. 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

  1. State H₀ and H₁ and decide whether the test is one- or two-sided.
  2. Calculate the test statistic: (x̄ − μ₀)/(σ/√n), or with s and t.
  3. Compare with the critical value, or find the p-value.
  4. 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

Chi-square tests

Test statistic
χ² = Σ(O − E)²/E
Goodness of fit
E = n·p, df = k − 1 − (estimated parameters)
Independence
E = row total × column total / grand total, df = (r − 1)(c − 1)
Critical values (α = 0.05)
df 1: 3.841, 2: 5.991, 3: 7.815, 4: 9.488
Decision
reject H0 if χ² > χ²crit

2Practice problems

1.Normal distributionMedium
85.75115.75P = ?

The IQ scores are normally distributed with mean 100 points and standard deviation 15 points. What fraction lies between 85.75 and 115.75 points? Give P as a decimal.

μ = 100σ = 15x1 = 85.75x2 = 115.75
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
10 g0X − Y?

The mass X of a product from line 1 and Y from line 2 are independent and normal: X has mean 500 g and standard deviation 8 g, Y has mean 490 g and standard deviation 6 g. Find the probability P that X is greater than Y. Round z to two decimals.

μX = 500 g, σX = 8 gμY = 490 g, σY = 6 g
P =
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
n = 8, sd​ = 0.50LU = ?d̄ = 2.1E95%

The blood pressure of 8 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 2.1 and standard deviation 0.5. Find the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.

n = 8d̄ = 2.1sd = 0.595%t(7) = 2.365
upper limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
p ≈ 0.1, n = ?p̂ − Ep̂ + Ep̂E = 0.0190%

A pilot study suggests that about 0.1 of products are defective. How many products n must be inspected so that a 90% confidence interval for the proportion has a margin of error of at most 0.01?

p ≈ 0.1E = 0.0190%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
−2.0862.086t = ?df = 20

Two teaching methods are compared. Group 1: 14 students, mean score 64.5, standard deviation 3.5. Group 2: 8 students, mean score 67.6, standard deviation 3.5. Assume equal population variances and use the pooled two-sample t test. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ₁ = μ₂, taking the difference as x̄₁ − x̄₂ (group 1 minus group 2).

n₁ = 14x̄₁ = 64.5s₁ = 3.5n₂ = 8x̄₂ = 67.6s₂ = 3.5
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
z −1.64501.645

A sample of 64 measurements has mean 48.5. The population standard deviation is 4. Find the lower limit L of the 90% confidence interval for the mean.

x̄ = 48.5σ = 4n = 6490%
L =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
xy23744265186010691271xy5104060

The table gives 6 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.

n = 6
r =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
xy149260364470569684xy2466080ŷ = 60

The table gives 6 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. For which value x does the line predict ŷ = 60?

n = 6ŷ = 60
x =
9.Chi-square testsMedium
busbikecarTotalstudents21471280staff153451100Total368163180

The contingency table shows observed counts. Compute the chi-square statistic χ² for the test of independence between the row and column variables. Do not use a continuity correction.

N = 1802 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
dfα = 0.05α = 0.0113.8416.63525.9919.21037.81511.34549.48813.277511.07015.086612.59216.812714.06718.475815.50720.090916.91921.6661018.30723.209

A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed counts in 10 categories with fully specified expected proportions (no parameters are estimated from the data). Using the table, find the critical value χ²crit at significance level α = 0.05.

α = 0.05
χ²crit =

3Solutions

1.Normal distribution

Answer: P = 0.6821

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-scores

z₁ = (85.75 − 100)/15 = −0.95
z₂ = (115.75 − 100)/15 = 1.05

Area between

P = Φ(1.05) − Φ(−0.95) = 0.8531 − 0.1711 = 0.6821

Answer

P = 0.6821
2.Normal distribution

Answer: P = 0.8413

Sums and differences of normal variables: if X and Y are independent and normal, X + Y and X − Y are normal too. Means add or subtract: E(X ± Y) = μX ± μY. Variances always add, also for a difference: Var(X ± Y) = σX² + σY², so σ = √(σX² + σY²). Standard deviations never add directly. The total of n independent items with the same distribution has mean n·μ and standard deviation σ·√n. Then standardise as usual: z = (x − mean)/σ and read Φ(z).

Distribution of the difference

μ = 500 − 490 = 10 g, σ = 10 g

Standardise

z = (0 − 10)/10 = −1

Probability

P = 1 − Φ(−1) = 0.8413

Answer

P = 0.8413
3.Confidence intervals

Answer: upper limit = 2.518 mmHg

Interval for a difference: estimate ± critical value × standard error. For two independent means with known σ: SE = √(σ₁²/n₁ + σ₂²/n₂) and z. With equal unknown variances: pooled s_p and t with n₁ + n₂ − 2 degrees of freedom. For paired data, work with the differences: d̄ ± t·s_d/√n.

Critical value

df = 7, t = 2.365

Margin of error

E = 2.365·0.5/√8 = 0.4181

Interval

2.1 ± 0.4181 → [1.682, 2.518]

Answer

upper limit = 2.518 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals

Answer: n = 2436

Confidence interval for a proportion: p̂ ± z·√(p̂(1 − p̂)/n), where p̂ = x/n. To reach a margin E you need n ≥ z²·p(1 − p)/E², rounded up; without a prior estimate use p = 0.5, which gives the largest n.

Solve for n

n = 1.645²·0.1·0.9/0.01² = 2435

Round up

n = 2436

Answer

n = 2436
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: t = −1.998

Hypothesis test: the test statistic = (estimate − value under H₀)/(standard error under H₀). The p-value is the probability, assuming H₀ is true, of a statistic at least as extreme as the one observed: the area in one tail for a one-sided H₁, twice the tail area for a two-sided H₁. Reject H₀ when p ≤ α.

Pooled variance

sp² = (13·3.5² + 7·3.5²)/20 = 12.25
sp = 3.5

Standard error

SE = 3.5·√(1/14 + 1/8) = 1.551

Test statistic

t = (64.5 − 67.6)/1.551 = −1.998

Answer

t = −1.998

With df = 20, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.086; |t| is smaller, so H₀ is not rejected.

6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: L = 47.68

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 = 1.645·4/√64 = 0.8225

Interval limit

L = 48.5 − 0.8225 = 47.68

Answer

L = 47.68
7.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: r = 0.9897

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 = 42/6 = 7
ȳ = 330/6 = 55

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 260
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 986

Correlation coefficient

r = 260/√(70·986) = 0.9897

Answer

r = 0.9897
8.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: x = 2.49

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 = 21/6 = 3.5
ȳ = 396/6 = 66

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 104

Regression line

b = 104/17.5 = 5.943
a = 66 − 5.943·3.5 = 45.2
ŷ = 45.2 + 5.943·x

Solve for x

x = (60 − 45.2)/5.943 = 2.49

Answer

x = 2.49
9.Chi-square tests

Answer: χ² = 25.32

Chi-square tests: compare observed counts O with the counts E expected under H₀ using χ² = Σ(O − E)²/E. Goodness of fit: E = n·p for each category, df = k − 1 (minus one more for each parameter estimated from the data). Independence in an r × c table: E = row total × column total / grand total, df = (r − 1)(c − 1). Reject H₀ when χ² exceeds the critical value for the chosen α.

Expected counts

students: 80·36/180 = 16, 80·81/180 = 36, 80·63/180 = 28
staff: 100·36/180 = 20, 100·81/180 = 45, 100·63/180 = 35

Chi-square statistic

χ² = (21 − 16)²/16 + (47 − 36)²/36 + (12 − 28)²/28 + (15 − 20)²/20 + (34 − 45)²/45 + (51 − 35)²/35
χ² = 25.32

Answer

χ² = 25.32

df = 2. At α = 0.05 the critical value is 5.991, so H₀ (independence) is rejected.

10.Chi-square tests

Answer: χ²crit = 16.92

Chi-square tests: compare observed counts O with the counts E expected under H₀ using χ² = Σ(O − E)²/E. Goodness of fit: E = n·p for each category, df = k − 1 (minus one more for each parameter estimated from the data). Independence in an r × c table: E = row total × column total / grand total, df = (r − 1)(c − 1). Reject H₀ when χ² exceeds the critical value for the chosen α.

Degrees of freedom

df = 10 − 1 = 9

Table

χ²crit(df = 9, α = 0.05) = 16.919

Answer

χ²crit = 16.919

Reject H₀ if the computed χ² is larger than this value.

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