现代统计是一个令人兴奋的学科，它影响到现代生活的许多方面。它的开发是为了合理，客观地处理伴随现象变化的不确定性，这种变化与影响我们环境的许多因素之间的相互作用一样高度复杂。它在应对科学活动的所有领域（包括社会，商业，生物，农业，医学，自然科学和工程科学）中出现的实际问题时具有生命力。研究人员为了解特定现象而做出的努力会受到自然变化的影响，无论是患者对某种药物的反应还是特定教学计划对学生学习的有效性。统计领域关注的是在存在这种变化的情况下有效，有效地了解更多有关这些现象的方法。这是一门归纳科学，其中从样本数
Modern statistics is an exciting subject that affects most aspects of modern living. It has been developed to deal rationally and objectively with the uncertainty that accompanies variation in phenomena as highly complex as the interplay of the many factors that affect our environment. It derives vitality in coping with practical problems arising in all fields of scientific activity, including the social, business, biological, agricultural, medical, natural, and engineering sciences. Investigators' efforts to learn about a specific phenomenon, be it the response of a patient to a certain medical treatment or the effectiveness of a particular instructional program on a student's learning, are impacted by the presence of natural variation. The field of statistics is concerned with valid and efficient ways to learn more about these phenomena in the presence of such variation. It is an inductive science in which information is extracted from sample data in order to draw inferences. This process most often involves planning experiments or designing studies to ensure that valid answers to questions are obtained from the sample.