Chapter 11
Rolling the Dice on Predictions and Probability
In This Chapter
Understanding linear and exponential trends
Predicting future data from existing data
Working with normal and Poisson distributions
When analyzing data, one of the most important steps is usually to determine what model fits the data. No, I’m not talking about a model car or model plane! This is a mathematical model or, put another way, a formula that describes the data. The question of a model is applicable for all data that comes in X-Y pairs, such as the following:
Comparisons of weight and height measurements
Data on salary versus educational level
Number of fish feeding in a river by time of day
Number of employees calling in sick as related to day of the week
Modeling
Suppose now that you plot all the ...
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