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
−3−2−10123zshaded area to the right of z = 0.9306

Drag z so that the shaded area under the standard normal curve, to the right of z, is 0.9306. Find z to two decimals.

A = 0.9306
z =
2.Normal distributionHard
0.02 mm0D − d?

Hole diameters D are normal with mean 25.02 mm and standard deviation 0.015 mm. Shaft diameters d are independent and normal with mean 25 mm and standard deviation 0.01 mm. A randomly chosen shaft fits when D − d > 0. Find the probability P that it fits. Round z to two decimals.

hole: μ = 25.02 mm, σ = 0.015 mmshaft: μ = 25 mm, σ = 0.01 mm
P =
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
n = 10, sd​ = 6.50LUd̄ = 7.9E = ?95%

The blood pressure of 10 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 7.9 and standard deviation 6.5. Find the margin of error E of the 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.

n = 10d̄ = 7.9sd = 6.595%t(9) = 2.262
E = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
σ = 23, n = ?x̄ − Ex̄ + Ex̄E = 2.599%

The population standard deviation is 23. How large a sample n do you need so that a 99% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 2.5?

σ = 23E = 2.599%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
t −2.13102.131

A sample of 16 students has a mean score of 191.8 and a sample standard deviation of 15. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 200.

μ₀ = 200x̄ = 191.8s = 15n = 16
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
−1.961.96z = ?

In a trial, 50 of 200 patients on treatment A recover, and 24 of 200 patients on treatment B. Using the pooled proportion, find the test statistic z for H₀: p₁ = p₂.

x₁ = 50n₁ = 200x₂ = 24n₂ = 200
z =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
xy1303405447489581169xy5104060

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

n = 6Σx = 36Σy = 289Σx² = 286Σy² = 14865Σxy = 1987
r =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
xy15561776198521892310125102xy1520256080100x = 16

The table gives 6 paired observations of x = temperature in °C and y = ice creams sold. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. Predict ŷ for x = 16.

n = 6x = 16
ŷ =
9.Chi-square testsMedium
lowmediumhighTotalurban393427100rural382940Total424256140

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 = 1402 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard

A chi-square goodness-of-fit test checks whether counts in 8 categories follow a Poisson distribution whose mean is estimated from the same data. How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?

k = 8
df =

3Solutions

1.Normal distribution

Answer: z = −1.48

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 − 0.9306 = 0.0694

Read the z-table backwards

Find 0.0694 inside the table and read off z.

z = −1.48

Answer

z = −1.48
2.Normal distribution

Answer: P = 0.8665

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 = 25.02 − 25 = 0.02 mm, σ = 0.01803 mm

Standardise

z = (0 − 0.02)/0.01803 = −1.11

Probability

P = 1 − Φ(−1.11) = 0.8665

Answer

P = 0.8665
3.Confidence intervals

Answer: E = 4.649 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 = 9, t = 2.262

Margin of error

E = 2.262·6.5/√10 = 4.649

Answer

E = 4.649 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals

Answer: n = 562

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 = (2.576·23/2.5)² = 561.7

Round up

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

n = 562

Answer

n = 562
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: t = −2.187

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 = 15/√16 = 15/4 = 3.75

Test statistic

t = (191.8 − 200)/3.75 = −2.187

Answer

t = −2.187
t0.025; df = 15 = 2.131

|t| > 2.131, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).

6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: z = 3.348

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.

Sample proportions

p̂₁ = 50/200 = 0.25
p̂₂ = 24/200 = 0.12
p̂ = 74/400 = 0.185

Standard error under H₀

SE = √(0.185·0.815·(1/200 + 1/200)) = 0.03883

Test statistic

z = (0.25 − 0.12)/0.03883 = 3.348

Answer

z = 3.348

|z| > 1.96, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).

7.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: r = 0.9838

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.

Centred sums

Sxy = 1987 − 36·289/6 = 253
Sxx = 286 − 36²/6 = 70
Syy = 14865 − 289²/6 = 944.8

Correlation coefficient

r = 253/√(70·944.8) = 0.9838

Answer

r = 0.9838
8.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: ŷ = 67.18

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 = 120/6 = 20
ȳ = 509/6 = 84.83

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 309

Regression line

b = 309/70 = 4.414
a = 84.83 − 4.414·20 = −3.452
ŷ = −3.452 + 4.414·x

Prediction

ŷ = −3.452 + 4.414·16 = 67.18

Answer

ŷ = 67.18
9.Chi-square tests

Answer: χ² = 26.1

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: 100·42/140 = 30, 100·42/140 = 30, 100·56/140 = 40
rural: 40·42/140 = 12, 40·42/140 = 12, 40·56/140 = 16

Chi-square statistic

χ² = (39 − 30)²/30 + (34 − 30)²/30 + (27 − 40)²/40 + (3 − 12)²/12 + (8 − 12)²/12 + (29 − 16)²/16
χ² = 26.1

Answer

χ² = 26.1

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

10.Chi-square tests

Answer: df = 6

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 = 8 − 1 − 1 = 6

Answer

df = 6

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