Probability and Statistics with Resampling Stats and Mathematica

Volume 3, Issue 1
Winter 1993

Probability theory and its offspring, inferential statistics, constitute perhaps the most frustrating branch of human knowledge. The abstractness of formal methods scares many people, and leads to frequent errors in the choice of procedures. Resampling methods work directly with the underlying physical model by simulating it, and hence are easier to understand. The term "resampling" refers to the use of the given data, or a data-generating mechanism such as a die, to produce new hypothetical samples, which can then be examined and compared to the actual sample. The resampling method provides the benefits of statistics and probability theory without the confusing formulas and restrictive parametric assumptions. Resampling is simple to learn and use, especially with computer languages such as Mathematica or Resampling Stats.