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
200 mm200.4 mmX + Y?

X is normal with mean 120 mm and standard deviation 0.3 mm; Y is independent and normal with mean 80 mm and standard deviation 0.4 mm. Find the probability P that X + Y is more than 200.4 mm. Round z to two decimals.

μX = 120, σX = 0.3μY = 80, σY = 0.4X + Y > 200.4 mm
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
35455565758595pointstop 60%

The exam scores are normally distributed with mean 65 points and standard deviation 10 points. Drag the cut-off so the shaded top 60% is to the right of it. Find the cut-off x.

μ = 65 pointsσ = 10 points60%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
n = 6, s = 9.5LUx̄ = 117.5E = ?95%

A sample of 6 items has mean 117.5 and standard deviation s = 9.5. The population is roughly normal. Find the margin of error E of a 95% confidence interval for the mean.

n = 6x̄ = 117.5s = 9.595%t(5) = 2.571
E =
4.Confidence intervalsHard
σ = 11, n = ?x̄ − Ex̄ + Ex̄E = 495%

The population standard deviation is 11. How large a sample n do you need so that a 95% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 4?

σ = 11E = 495%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
t −1.98401.984

A sample of 100 students has a mean score of 202.9 and a sample standard deviation of 10. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 200.

μ₀ = 200x̄ = 202.9s = 10n = 100
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
μ₀x̄c

A one-sided z test of H₀: μ = 100 against H₁: μ < 100 is done at α = 0.05 with a sample of 100; the standard deviation is known to be 30. In reality the mean is 95.8. Find the probability of a Type II error β in percent.

μ₀ = 100μ = 95.8σ = 30n = 100α = 0.05
β = %
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
xy356462569675781xy46607080

The table gives 5 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Find the coefficient of determination r² of the least-squares line.

n = 5
r² =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
xy245354455557660762xy2465060ŷ = 53

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 = 53?

n = 6ŷ = 53
x =
9.Chi-square testsMedium
lowmediumhighTotalurban263658120rural294130100Total557788220

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 = 2202 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
yesnoTotalline 1103040line 2265480line 3443680Total80120200dfα = 0.05α = 0.0113.8416.63525.9919.21037.81511.34549.48813.277511.07015.086612.59216.812714.06718.475815.50720.090916.91921.6661018.30723.209

The table shows observed counts. Test at α = 0.01 whether the two variables are independent (no continuity correction). Compute the test statistic χ², then compare it with the critical value from the table.

N = 2003 × 2α = 0.01
χ² =

3Solutions

1.Normal distribution

Answer: P = 0.2119

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 sum

μ = 200 mm, σ = √(0.3² + 0.4²) = 0.5 mm

Standardise

z = (200.4 − 200)/0.5 = 0.8

Upper tail

P = 1 − Φ(0.8) = 1 − 0.7881 = 0.2119

Answer

P = 0.2119
2.Normal distribution

Answer: x = 62.5 points

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

Φ(z) = 0.4

z from the table

z ≈ −0.25

Back to the original units

x = 65 − 0.25·10 = 62.5 points

Answer

x = 62.5 points
3.Confidence intervals

Answer: E = 9.971

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.

Critical value

df = n − 1 = 5, t = 2.571

Margin of error

E = 2.571·9.5/√6 = 9.971

Answer

E = 9.971
4.Confidence intervals

Answer: n = 30

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 = (1.96·11/4)² = 29.05

Round up

A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.

n = 30

Answer

n = 30
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: t = 2.9

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

SE = 10/√100 = 10/10 = 1

Test statistic

t = (202.9 − 200)/1 = 2.9

Answer

t = 2.9
t0.025; df = 99 = 1.984

|t| > 1.984, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).

6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: β = 59.68 %

Power of a test: power = 1 − β is the probability of rejecting H₀ when it is false. Find the cutoff x̄c from μ₀ and z_α, then compute the probability of landing beyond x̄c using the true mean: z = (x̄c − μ)/(σ/√n).

Critical sample mean

SE = 30/√100 = 3
x̄c = 100 − 1.645·3 = 95.06

z under the true mean

z = (95.06 − 95.8)/3 = −0.245

Type II error

power = P(Z < −0.245) = 40.32%
β = 100% − 40.32% = 59.68%

Answer

β = 59.68%
7.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: r² = 0.9992

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 = 25/5 = 5
ȳ = 343/5 = 68.6

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 10
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 63
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 397.2

Coefficient of determination

r² = 63²/(10·397.2) = 0.9992

Answer

r² = 0.9992

About 99.92% of the variation in y is explained by the line.

8.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: x = 3.667

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 = 333/6 = 55.5

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 52.5

Regression line

b = 52.5/17.5 = 3
a = 55.5 − 3·4.5 = 42
ŷ = 42 + 3·x

Solve for x

x = (53 − 42)/3 = 3.667

Answer

x = 3.667
9.Chi-square tests

Answer: χ² = 7.642

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

urban: 120·55/220 = 30, 120·77/220 = 42, 120·88/220 = 48
rural: 100·55/220 = 25, 100·77/220 = 35, 100·88/220 = 40

Chi-square statistic

χ² = (26 − 30)²/30 + (36 − 42)²/42 + (58 − 48)²/48 + (29 − 25)²/25 + (41 − 35)²/35 + (30 − 40)²/40
χ² = 7.642

Answer

χ² = 7.642

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

10.Chi-square tests

Answer: χ² = 13.13

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

line 1: 16, 24
line 2: 32, 48
line 3: 32, 48

Chi-square statistic

χ² = (10 − 16)²/16 + (30 − 24)²/24 + (26 − 32)²/32 + (54 − 48)²/48 + (44 − 32)²/32 + (36 − 48)²/48
χ² = 13.13

Decision

df = 2, χ²crit = 9.210
13.13 > 9.210

Answer

χ² = 13.13

χ² is above the critical value, so H₀ is rejected: the variables appear to be related.

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