Basic Statistics – AH 1202

Dr Gayan Bowatte BSc (hons - Pera) PhD (UniMelb-Aus)

Senior Lecturer
Department of Basic Sciences
University of Peradeniya
?
The term statistics is ultimately derived from the New
Latin statisticum collegium ("council of state") and the
Italian word statista ("statesman" or "politician")
What is statistics?
• Statistic is, collecting, organizing, summarizing,
analyzing and interpreting data in order to obtain
meaningful information

• A branch of mathematics

• Statistics is all about data

• The field of statistics is the science of learning from

data.
 3rd March 4th March 5th March 6th March 7th March
µg/m3

Comparison of average daily PM2.5 variations before and during the one-
way traffic plan– calculated using hourly average for the monitoring period
for each day
Mean µg/m3 Mean µg/m3 p
PM2.5 before PM2.5 after
48.55 55.17 <0.05
7
• Statistics is a crucial process behind how we make
discoveries in science, make decisions based on
data, and make predictions.

• Statistics allows you to understand a subject much

more deeply.
Statistics
• Almost 85% of lung cancers in men and 45% in women
are tobacco-related.
• People tend to be more persuasive when they look
others directly in the eye and speak loudly and quickly.
• Women make 75 cents to every dollar a man makes
when they work the same job.
• A surprising new study shows that eating egg whites
can increase one's life span.
• There is an 80% chance that in a room full of 30 people
that at least two people will share the same birthday.
All of these claims are statistical in character!
Statistics

• Statistics are often presented in an effort to add credibility

to an argument or advice.

• If you cannot distinguish good from faulty reasoning, then

you are vulnerable to manipulation and to decisions that are
not in your best interest.

• Many of the numbers thrown about in this way do not

represent careful statistical analysis.

• Statistics provides tools that you need in order to react

intelligently to information you hear or read.
Is this better?

You hear in a commercial that 80% of people prefer to use a

certain kind of toothpaste. What do you conclude?

This toothpaste is superior to all others

You need to know more about where these data came

from before making any conclusions.

Only 20% of people prefer to use all other types of

toothpaste.
What should you take into consideration when evaluating
statistical claims?

The statistics presented

The sources of the statistical findings

The procedures used to generate the claims

Why statistics is important?

• Major purpose of statistics are to help us understand and

describe phenomena in our world and to help us draw
reliable conclusions about those phenomena

Who is the tallest?

Which team has the average tallest players?

• Collecting data – heights of players

• Organizing data – smallest to largest
• Summarizing data – average height of players
• Analyzing data – compare the two groups
• Interpreting data – which team has players with highest
average height
Statistics around us

• How many of you think that you use or surrounded by huge

amount of statistics that you are unware of?

• Daily life is surrounded by the products of statistics.

Statistics in real life
• O/L exam grades
• O/L exam island ranking
• A/L Z scores
Select best nutritional diet for pregnant mothers

Nutrient Chicken (per 100g) Tuna (per 100g)

Total fat (g) 1.6 1
Total protein (g) 22.5 30.4
Cholesterol (mg) 59 45
Sodium (mg) 41 37
Potassium (mg) 300 444
Magnesium (mg) 28 50
Calcium (mg) 12 26
Phosphorus (mg) 190 191
Lead (mg) 0 0.05
Iron (mg) 0.4 0.7
Zinc (mg) 0.7 0.5
Cadmium (mg) 0.1 0.005
Selenium (µg) 21.4 37
Copper (mg) 0.03 0.06
Manganese (mg) 1.64 0.02

Talk to your neighbor and select which one suits best

Nutritional diet for pregnant mothers

Nutrient Chicken (per 100g) Tuna (per 100g)

Total fat (g) 1.6 1
Total protein (g) 22.5 30.4
Cholesterol (mg) 59 45
Sodium (mg) 41 37
Potassium (mg) 300 444
Magnesium (mg) 28 50
Calcium (mg) 12 26
Phosphorus (mg) 190 191
Lead (mg) 0 0.05
Iron (mg) 0.4 0.7
Zinc (mg) 0.7 0.5
Cadmium (mg) 0.1 0.005
Selenium (µg) 21.4 37
Copper (mg) 0.03 0.06
Manganese (mg) 1.64 0.02
• Weather forecasting - There are some computer models
build on statistical concepts.
• These computer models compare prior weather with the
current weather and predict future weather.
Climatic change predictions
• Temperatures will continue to rise
• Changes in precipitation patterns
• More droughts and heat waves
• Hurricanes will become stronger and more intense
• Sea level will rise 1-4 feet by 2100
• Arctic likely to become ice-free
What is the current world population?

• http://www.theworldcounts.com/themes/our_envi
ronment
Air pollution in India and its effects of Sri
Lanka

• https://earth.nullschool.net/#2019/11/22/1830Z/particulates/surface/level/ove
rlay=pm2.5/orthographic=-281.25,15.32,1638
Trends

• A trend - a general direction in which something is

developing or changing.
Trends in diet
• Vegetarian diet - exclude meat and fish. Dairy products, such as
milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are included

• Vegan diet - contains only plants –

such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits – and foods made from
plants

• Ketogenic diet
a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be
used as energy
Why statistics are important?

• Statistics are really important to understand current

situations e.g. prevalence and incidence of diabetes

• Predict future scenarios – When used correctly, statistics

tell us any trends in what happened in the past and can be
useful in predicting what may happen in the future.

• Prepare for future

– e.g. plan for health
care facilities for future
Why do I need to learn statistics?

• Statistical techniques are used to make decisions that affect

our daily lives

• Knowledge of statistical methods will help you understand

how decisions are made and give you a better
understanding of how they affect you

• able to effectively conduct research. Without the use of

statistics it would be very difficult to make decisions based
on the data collected from a research project.
Why do I need to learn statistics?

• Important for a researcher to know what statistics they

want to use before they collect their data. Otherwise data
might be collected that is uninterpretable.

• to be able to read journals. Most technical journals you will

read contain some form of statistics.

• develop critical and analytic thinking skills.

Change the World

• Statistics contribute to society in many ways,

• from protecting endangered species and managing

the impacts of climate change to making medicines
more effective and reducing hunger and disease.

• The ways in which statisticians make the world a

better place are vast.
Basic Statistics – AH 1202
• 2 Credit course
• Number of lecture hours – 30 hrs
• Course start date – 20th Nov 2019
• Mid semester exam – 13th February 2020 (5th week)
• End of teaching – 12th March 2020
• End semester exam – April 2020
Exams

• Eligibility - 80% attendance

• Mid semester (30%) – Multiple Choice Questions

(MCQ)

• End semester (70%) – MCQ and Short Answer

Question (SAQ)
LMS
• Time to time materials
• Quizzes
• activities