What is Statistics - SS1 Mathematics Lesson Note

Statistics is the branch of mathematics concerned with the collection and organization of data in order to interpret, predict and gain relevant information from the data. It has its use in almost everywhere facet of human activities. From weather predictions to government planning to high-end industrial and medical applications to every the most basic of individual decision-making.

Data collection involves sourcing for relevant data points about the particular event or entity under consideration. Data can be sourced from primary sources such as through interviews and observation; or from secondary sources like reports and records.

After data has been collated, it must then be sorted or organized or arranged in a meaningful order. For instance, in census data from a particular country, data can be sorted using a variety of unique keys or criteria such as age, ethnicity, marital status, educational background and so on. Afterwards, this sorted data can be transformed into several visual forms to aid in extracting key trends or information from the data. Visual aids are useful as they provide a much easier format to read and understand by abstracting away some details. This is called data presentation.