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
105 s108.2 sX + Y?

X is normal with mean 60 s and standard deviation 5 s; Y is independent and normal with mean 45 s and standard deviation 4 s. Find the probability P that X + Y is more than 108.2 s. Round z to two decimals.

μX = 60, σX = 5μY = 45, σY = 4X + Y > 108.2 s
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
μ = 65x = ?90%

The exam scores are normally distributed with mean 65 points and standard deviation 10 points. Find the value x below which 90% of them lie (the 90th percentile).

μ = 65σ = 10P = 90%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
μ₁ − μ₂0L = ?Ux̄₁ − x̄₂E90%

The battery life of two phone models is compared. Model 1: 60 phones, mean 121 h, known standard deviation 7 h. Model 2: 40 phones, mean 133.5 h, known standard deviation 9 h. Find the lower limit of the 90% confidence interval for μ₁ − μ₂.

n₁ = 60x̄₁ = 121 hσ₁ = 7 hn₂ = 40x̄₂ = 133.5 hσ₂ = 9 h90%
lower limit = h
4.Confidence intervalsHard
p = 0.5, n = ?p̂ − Ep̂ + Ep̂E = 0.0599%

Nothing is known in advance about the proportion of defective products. How many products n must be inspected so that a 99% confidence interval for the proportion has a margin of error of at most 0.05?

p = 0.5E = 0.0599%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
−2.3062.306t = ?df = 8

9 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 −7.73 and the standard deviation of the differences is 8. Find the paired test statistic t for H₀: μd = 0.

n = 9d̄ = −7.73sd = 8
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
z −2.57602.576

A sample of 16 measurements has mean 73.6. The population standard deviation is 5. Find the upper limit U of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.

x̄ = 73.6σ = 5n = 1699%
U =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
xy123222319415510611xy246101520

The table gives 6 paired observations of x = car age in years and y = price in k€. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.

n = 6
r =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
xy14431638184520552261xy1520405060x = 17

The table gives 5 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 = 17.

n = 5x = 17
ŷ =
9.Chi-square testsMedium
lowmediumhighTotalurban17382479rural9243063Total266254142

The contingency table shows observed counts. For a chi-square test of independence, find the expected count E for the cell “urban, high”.

row total = 79column total = 54N = 142
E =
10.Chi-square testsHard

A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed counts in 4 categories with fully specified expected proportions (no parameters are estimated from the data). How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?

k = 4
df =

3Solutions

1.Normal distribution

Answer: P = 0.3085

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 = 105 s, σ = √(5² + 4²) = 6.403 s

Standardise

z = (108.2 − 105)/6.403 = 0.5

Upper tail

P = 1 − Φ(0.5) = 1 − 0.6915 = 0.3085

Answer

P = 0.3085
2.Normal distribution

Answer: x = 77.82 points

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) = 0.9 → z = 1.282

Back to x

x = 65 + 1.282·10 = 77.82 points

Answer

x = 77.82 points
3.Confidence intervals

Answer: lower limit = −15.27 h

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.

Point estimate

x̄₁ − x̄₂ = 121 − 133.5 = −12.5

Standard error

SE = √(7²/60 + 9²/40) = 1.686

Margin of error

E = 1.645·1.686 = 2.773

Interval

−12.5 ± 2.773 → [−15.27, −9.727]

Answer

lower limit = −15.27 h

The interval does not contain 0, so the means differ significantly.

4.Confidence intervals

Answer: n = 664

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 = 2.576²·0.5·0.5/0.05² = 663.6

Round up

n = 664

Answer

n = 664
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: t = −2.899

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 = 8/√9 = 2.667

Test statistic

t = −7.73/2.667 = −2.899

Answer

t = −2.899

With df = 8, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.306; |t| is larger, so H₀ is rejected.

6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals

Answer: U = 76.82

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 = 2.576·5/√16 = 3.22

Interval limit

U = 73.6 + 3.22 = 76.82

Answer

U = 76.82
7.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: r = −0.9652

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 = 100/6 = 16.67

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = −50
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 153.3

Correlation coefficient

r = −50/√(17.5·153.3) = −0.9652

Answer

r = −0.9652
8.Linear regression & correlation

Answer: ŷ = 45.75

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 = 90/5 = 18
ȳ = 242/5 = 48.4

Sums of squares and products

Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 106

Regression line

b = 106/40 = 2.65
a = 48.4 − 2.65·18 = 0.7
ŷ = 0.7 + 2.65·x

Prediction

ŷ = 0.7 + 2.65·17 = 45.75

Answer

ŷ = 45.75
9.Chi-square tests

Answer: E = 30.04

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 count

E = 79·54/142 = 30.04

Answer

E = 30.04
10.Chi-square tests

Answer: df = 3

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 = 4 − 1 = 3

Answer

df = 3

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