Fundamentals of Statistics

Abstract

This chapter introduces the foundational concepts of statistics, focusing on data collection, classification, types of data, and essential measures of central tendency. It begins with definitions of population, sample, parameter, and statistic, and discusses methods for data collection including census and sampling techniques. A thorough classification of data into categorical and quantitative types is presented along with their subtypes. The chapter then explores scales of measurement and techniques for data organization such as frequency distributions. Emphasis is placed on measures of central tendency—mean, median, and mode—along with advanced concepts like geometric and harmonic means. Practical steps and formulas for calculating these measures in different data types (discrete, grouped, ungrouped) are also discussed. This foundation sets the stage for deeper statistical analysis and interpretation in various disciplines.