Abstract:

ESDU 92040 is directed to making statistical methods of analysis accessible to engineering users. It summarises the basic statistical terms and principles involved and discusses techniques most commonly used. It is restricted to consideration of a single random variable and covers fundamental concepts. After discussing the probability of random events and of discrete and continuous random variables it considers measures of location and dispersion and introduces the concept of the standard distribution. Sampling is then explained together with the influence of censoring. Statistical techniques are introduced in terms of the use of tests for goodness-of-fit, point and interval estimation and hypothesis testing. Brief mention is included of distribution-free (non-parametric) techniques and simulation (Monte Carlo) methods. ESDU 91041 covers the analysis of data from the Normal distribution and includes a Fortran program and statistical tables.