Inference
Inference, in statistics, the process of drawing conclusions about a parameter one is.
seeking to measure or estimate. Often scientists have many measurements of an object—
say, the mass of an electron—and wish to choose the best measure. One principal
approach of statistical inference is Bayesian estimation, which incorporates reasonable
expectations or prior judgments (perhaps based on previous studies}, as well as new
observations or experimental results, Another method is the likelihood approach, in which
“prior probabilities" are eschewed in favour of calculating a value of the parameter that
would be most “likely” to produce the observed distribution of experimental outcomes.
In parametric inference, a particular mathematical form of the distribution function is
assumed. Nonparametric inference avoids this assumption and is used to estimate
parameter values of an unknown distribution having an unknown functional form.
CITATION INFORMATION
ARTICLE TITLE: Inference
WEBSITE NAMI
ncyclopaedia Britannica
PUBLISHER: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
DATE PUBLISHED: 26 October 2016
URL: hitps:/wwwibritannica.com/science/inference-statistics
ACCESS DATE: January 29, 2019