Introduction

In this topic we will learn more about the purpose of sampling, along with how we can use samples to infer things about the population from which a sample was taken. For now, the main characteristic of a population we will focus on will be the population mean. However, many of the concepts we will learn about here are applicable to other characteristics as well.

We will begin with an overview of the purpose of sampling followed by a discussion of the sample mean. Next, the remarkable Central Limit Theorem will be introduced and discussed. Using this foundation, we will discuss how to ascertain the distribution of the sample mean. Finally, we will learn how to use that distribution to answer some questions. In future topics, we will see the significance of being able to answer such questions.

These notes have been prepared by Amanda J. Shaker. The copyright for the material in these notes resides with the author named above, with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and with La Trobe University. Copyright in this work is vested in La Trobe University including all La Trobe University branding and naming. Unless otherwise stated, material within this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Non Derivatives License CC BY-NC-ND