23.1 Population and Sample
This is a refresher on terminology regarding sampling.
- Population (\(N\)): The complete set of all elements under study.
- Sample (\(n\)): A subset of the population selected for analysis.
- Parameter: A numerical measure that describes a characteristic of a population (e.g., population mean \(\mu\), population variance \(\sigma^2\)).
- Statistic: A numerical measure computed from a sample, used to estimate a population parameter (e.g., sample mean \(\bar{x}\), sample variance \(s^2\)).
A well-chosen sample ensures that results generalize to the population, reducing sampling bias.