Foundations and Applications of Statistics
simultaneously emphasizes both the foundational and the computational
aspects of modern statistics. Engaging and accessible, this book is
useful to undergraduate students with a wide range of backgrounds and
career goals.
The exposition immediately begins with statistics,
presenting concepts and results from probability along the way.
Hypothesis testing is introduced very early, and the motivation for
several probability distributions comes from p-value computations.
Pruim develops the students' practical statistical reasoning through
explicit examples and through numerical and graphical summaries of data
that allow intuitive inferences before introducing the formal
machinery. The topics have been selected to reflect the current
practice in statistics, where computation is an indispensible tool. In
this vein, the statistical computing environment \mathsf{R}
is used throughout the text and is integral to the exposition.
Attention is paid to developing students' mathematical and
computational skills as well as their statistical reasoning. Linear
models, such as regression and ANOVA, are treated with explicit
reference to the underlying linear algebra, which is motivated
geometrically.
Foundations and Applications of Statistics
discusses both the mathematical theory underlying statistics and
practical applications that make it a powerful tool across disciplines.
The book contains ample material for a two-semester course in
undergraduate probability and statistics. A one-semester course based
on the book will cover hypothesis testing and confidence intervals for
the most common situations.