Statistics and Truth: How to Use Randomness

Author: Li Zhuyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book is a philosophical treatise on statistics by one of the most internationally renowned statisticians of the modern era, C.R. Rao. It is a summary of his lifelong statistical academic thoughts and also a popular textbook on the principles of statistics. From a philosophical perspective, the author discusses the principles of statistics, demonstrating through examples not only that statistics is a rigorous and rational epistemology and methodology but also profoundly reveals the development process of modern statistics, especially how profound theories have evolved from very simple practical problems. The first five chapters of the book narrate the history of statistics, from its initial collection and compilation of data for administrative purposes to its development into an independent discipline with a set of principles and research methods. Chapter 6 discusses the public's understanding of statistics, emphasizing that learning from numbers helps become an effective citizen. The most striking feature of the book is that all the connections between scientific disciplines, surveys, decision-making, and statistics mentioned in the book are illustrated through a series of examples. The book explains the basic concepts and methods of statistics in non-technical language, making it suitable for a general readership.