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Edexcel Limited 2009

Alternative hypothesis H
1
expresses the way in which the value of a parameter may deviate
from that specified in the null hypothesis.
Binomial distribution A random variable X is said to follow a Binomial distribution,
X ~ B(n, p), if it has probability distribution
) (
x n x
p p
n
x x X

|
|
.
|

\
|
= = 1 ) P(
where
x = 0, 1, 2, ......., n
n = the number of trials
p = probability of success at each trial
Binomial random
variable
Generally the number of successes in a series of trials. For example,
the number of 'heads' occurring when a coin is tossed 20 times.
Census A survey that includes the entire population.
Continuous variable A variable that can take any value in a given range
Continuity correction Often necessary when a continuous distribution such as the normal
distribution is used to approximate a discrete distribution such as the
binomial or Poisson distribution.
Correlation A measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables
Co-variance The measure of how much two random variables vary together
Critical region The set of values of the test statistic for which the null hypothesis is
rejected in favour of the alternative hypothesis.
Critical value The threshold to which the value of the test statistic in a sample is
compared to determine whether or not the null hypothesis is rejected.
Cumulative distribution
function
A function giving the probability that a random variable X is less
than or equal to x, for every value x. All random variables (discrete
and continuous) have a cumulative distribution function.
Discrete variable A variable that can take only specific values in a given range
Expected value The population mean of a random variable, written E(X).
Explanatory/independent
variable
The variable (usually labelled x) whose values can be set accurately
and which depend only on the experimenters choice
Extrapolation Using the regression line to estimate the value of the response
variable for a given value of the explanatory variable outside the
original range of values of the explanatory variable. [This should be
used with caution as estimates obtained in this manner may be
unreliable.]
Frequency The number of observations in a given statistical category
Independent events An event that is not affected by the outcome of another event
Interpolation Using the regression line to estimate the value of the response
variable for a given value of the explanatory variable within the
original range of values of the explanatory variable. [This is usually
Glossary
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Edexcel Limited 2009
fine.]
Interquartile range The values between which 50% of the observations fall. The lower
boundary is the lower quartile, the upper boundary is the upper
quartile
Mean An average found by summing all observations then dividing the
sum by the number of observations
Median The midpoint in a series of numbers; half the data values are above
the median, and half are below
Mode The most frequently occurring value in a data set
Mutually exclusive A set of events is considered mutually exclusive if only one event
from a given set can occur at any given time
Normal distribution A bell-shaped probability distribution
Null hypothesis H
0
is an assertion that a parameter in a statistical model takes a
particular value.
One-tailed test A hypothesis test where the values for which the null hypothesis is
rejected are located entirely in one tail of the probability distribution.
Outlier An extreme value which does not fit into the main body of the data.
Percentile A value on a scale that indicates the percent of a distribution that is
equal to it or below it.
Poisson distribution
A random variable X is said to follow a Poisson distribution, X ~
Po(), if it has probability distribution

-
e
!
) P(
x
x X
x
= =
where
x = 0, 1, 2, ..., n
> 0.
Poisson random variable Generally a count of the number of events that occur in a certain time
interval or area. For example, the number of cars passing a fixed
point in a 10 minute interval.
Population A collection of individual items or individuals
Probability density
function
A function that can be integrated to find the probability that a random
variable takes a value in a given interval.
Quartiles Values that partition the data set into four groups, each containing
25% of the measurements
Random variable A variable that represents the values obtained when we take a
measurement from an experiment in the real world. A random
variable must take a numerical value.
Regression A mathematical relationship between two variables
Response/dependent
variable
The variable (usually labelled y) whose value depends upon the
explanatory variable
Sample A subset of a population used to represent that population.
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Sample set The set of all possible outcomes
Sampling frame A list of all the sampling units in the target population.
Sampling unit The basic unit around which a sampling procedure is planned. For
example, a person or a single dose of a drug.
(sigma) Notation that indicates the sum of a series
Standard deviation A measure of the spread of a set of data
Statistical model A simplified mathematical version of a problem devised to describe,
or make predictions about, a real-world situation
Statistical test A test used to compare a prediction (based on a statistical model)
with an observed outcome (based on experimental data).
Two-tailed test A hypothesis test where the values for which the null hypothesis is
rejected are located in both tails of the probability distribution.
Uniform distribution A rectangular-shaped probability distribution. A discrete uniform
distribution has equal probability at each of its n values.
Variable A quantity that can assume any of a set of values.
Variance A measure of the spread of the values in a distribution. The larger the
variance, the larger the distance of the individual cases from the
group mean.