Unit # 6 Basic Statistics Definitions

1. Frequency Distribution:
A frequency distribution is a tabular arrangement for classifying data into different groups and the number of observations falling in each group corresponds to the respective group.

2. Discrete Frequency Distribution:

A frequency distribution formed by a set of values which are of discrete in nature is called a discrete frequency distribution.

3. Continuous Frequency Distribution:

Continuous frequency distribution is an arrangement of the values , that one or more variables take in a sample. It can assume an infinite number of values within a specific range.

4. Class Limits:
The minimum and the maximum values defined for a class or group are called class limits.

5. Lower Class Limit:

The minimum value of a class is called lower class limit.

6. Upper Class Limit:

The maximum value of a class is called upper class limit.

7. Class Boundaries:
The real class limits of a class are called class boundaries. A class boundary is obtained by adding two successive class limits and dividing the sum by 2.

8. Mid-Point or Class - Mark:

For a given class the average of that class obtained by dividing the sum of upper and lower class limits by 2, is called Mid- Point or class mark. Mudassar Nazar Notes Published by Asghar Ali Page 1

9. Size of Class Interval:

The difference between the upper class boundary and the lower class boundary of a class is called the size of class interval.

10. Cumulative Frequency:

The cumulative frequency is the number of observations less than or equal to a value of the variable.

11. Histogram:
A histogram is a graph of adjacent rectangles constructed on XY- plane. Or A histogram is a vertical bar chart in which the rectangular bars are constructed at the boundaries of each class.

12. Frequency Polygon:

Frequency polygon is a graph of the frequency distribution in which the frequencies are plotted against the mid point of the classes. The plotted points are joined together to get the frequency polygon.

13.Cumulative Frequency Polygon Or Ogive:

In cumulative frequency polygon, the cumulative frequencies are plotted against the upper class boundaries. The word ogive polygon is also used for cumulative frequency polygon.

14.Cumulative frequency Distribution:

A table showing cumulative frequencies against upper class boundaries is called a cumulative frequency distribution. It is also called a less than cumulative frequency distribution.

15.Average or Central Value:

An average or a central value is a specific value of the variable around which the majority of the observations tend to concentrate.

Mudassar Nazar Notes Published by Asghar Ali

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16.Measures of Central Tendency:

The measures or techniques that are used to determine the central value are called measures of central tendency.

17.Arithmetic Mean:
Arithmetic mean ( or simply mean) is obtained by dividing the sum of all the values of the variable by their number of observations. It is denoted by .

18.Median:
Median is the middle most observation in an arranged data set. It divides the data set into two equal parts. It is denoted by .

19.Mode:
Mode is the most frequent occurring observation in the data. It is the observation that occurs maximum number of times in the given data.

20.Geometric Mean:
Geometric mean of a variable X is the nth positive root of the product of the x1, x2, x3, ., xn observations.

21.Harmonic Mean:
Harmonic mean refers to the value obtained by reciprocating the mean of the reciprocal of the x1, x2, x3, ., xn observations.

22.Properties of Arithmetic Mean:

1. 2. 3. 4. Mean of a variable with similar observations say constant K is the constant K itself. Mean is affected by changing origin. Mean is affected by change in scale. Sum of the deviations of the variable X from its mean is always zero. Page 3

Mudassar Nazar Notes Published by Asghar Ali

23.The Weighted Arithmetic Mean:

When numbers x1, x2, x3, ., xn are not equally important , we associate them with certain weight w1, w2, , wn depending on the importance and significance. It is called the weighted arithmetic mean.

24.Moving Averages:
Moving averages are defined as the successive averages ( arithmetic means ) which are computed for a sequence of days/ months/ years at a time.

25.Measures of Dispersion:
The measures that are used to determine the degree or extent of variation in a data set are called measures of dispersion.

26.Range:
Range measures the extent of variation between two extreme observations of a data set. Range = Xm - Xo.

27.Variance:
Variance is defined as the mean of the squared deviations of observations from their arithmetic mean. It is denoted by S2.

28.Standard Deviation:
Standard deviation is defined as the positive square root of mean of the squared deviation of observations from their arithmetic mean. It is denoted by S.

29.Data:
The numerical figures obtained from any field of study are known as data.

30.Ungrouped Data:
Numerical facts which are obtained on the first hand and recorded as they stand are known as ungrouped data.

31.Grouped Data:
When the data have gone through some statistical process, classified into certain groups or into rows and columns, it is called grouped data.

Mudassar Nazar Notes Published by Asghar Ali

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