After Business Research class, I am teaching the Statistics in this term. So I found about the history of statistics until to the example of the statistics today. Let’s review …
Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. It is applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines, from the natural and social sciences to the humanities. Statistics is also used for making informed decisions in government and business.
Statistical methods can be used to summarize or describe a collection of data; this is called descriptive statistics. In addition, patterns in the data may be modeled in a way that accounts for randomness and uncertainty in the observations, and then used to draw inferences about the process or population being studied; this is called inferential statistics. Both descriptive and inferential statistics comprise applied statistics. There is also a discipline called mathematical statistics, which is concerned with the theoretical basis of the subject.
The word statistics is also the plural of statistic (singular), which refers to the result of applying a statistical algorithm to a set of data, as in economic statistics, crime statistics, etc.
Etymology : The term statistics is ultimately derived from the New Latin statisticum collegium (“council of state”) and the Italian word statista (“statesman” or “politician”). The German Statistik, first introduced by Gottfried Achenwall (1749), originally designated the analysis of data about the state, signifying the “science of state” (then called political arithmetic in English). It acquired the meaning of the collection and classification of data generally in the early 19th century. It was introduced into English by Sir John Sinclair.
Thus, the original principal purpose of Statistik was data to be used by governmental and (often centralized) administrative bodies. The collection of data about states and localities continues, largely through national and international statistical services. In particular, censuses provide regular information about the population.
History of Statistics:Statistics arose, no later than the 18th century, from the need of states to collect data on their people and economies, in order to administer them. Its meaning broadened in the early 19th century to include the collection and analysis of data in general. Today statistics is widely employed in government, business, and the natural and social sciences.
Because of its origins in government and its data-centric world view, statistics is considered to be not a subfield of mathematics but rather a distinct field that uses mathematics. Its mathematical foundations were laid in the 17th and 18th centuries with the development of probability theory. The method of least squares, a central technique of the discipline, was invented in the early 19th century by several authors. Since then new techniques of probability and statistics have been in continual development. Modern computers have expedited large-scale statistical computation, and have also made possible new methods that would be impractical to perform manually.
Statistics today: During the 20th century, the creation of precise instruments for agricultural research, public health concerns (epidemiology, biostatistics, etc.), industrial quality control, and economic and social purposes (unemployment rate, econometry, etc.) necessitated substantial advances in statistical practices.
Today the use of statistics has broadened far beyond its origins. Individuals and organizations use statistics to understand data and make informed decisions throughout the natural and social sciences, medicine, business, and other areas.
Statistics is generally regarded not as a subfield of mathematics but rather as a distinct, albeit allied, field. Many universities maintain separate mathematics and statistics departments. Statistics is also taught in departments as diverse as psychology, education, and public health.
Example of the statistics today :
Example of Market Research – Telecommunications & IT Market – Wireless & Mobile Communication For Asia – Mobile Communications Statistics from http://www.chinaccm.com 2007-9-19 13:52 Published on September 2007.
Let try to review Executive Summary : Asia’s mobile industry has been one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world. By early 2006, we saw the region reach 850 million mobile subscribers (overall regional penetration 23%) and the total subscriber base was still growing at an annual rate of almost 25%. After a period where annual subscriber growth rates were well in excess of 50%, there has been a slowing of growth in recent years, settling to between 20% and 30%. There is still more room for growth. Asia has not only been dynamic in terms of subscriber growth, it has also been a leader in innovation with such products as NTT Do Como’s i-Mode in Japan and the widespread application of SMS. This report provides statistical tables relating to the Asian mobile market, grouped by country.
The other example – Espectially in Thailand’s mobile market :
- Thailand’s mobile market was approaching 40 million subscribers in early 2007. After more than six straight years of strong growth, the annual increase in the mobile subscriber numbers was still running at over 20%.
- The 2006 year saw another surge in Thailand’s broadband Internet market with subscriber growth running at an annual rate of around 100%. Interest in broadband services was finally picking up; but all this was happening from a relatively tiny base and broadband penetration remained low (1% penetration).
- Despite a slowing of economic growth following the September 2006 coup, the post-coup government, after a number of missteps, was working hard to stimulate the economy, looking to such initiatives as free trade agreements.
- In Myanmar, mobile services reportedly grew at a strong annual rate in excess of 100% in 2006, albeit from a tiny base. The subscriber numbers moved from 126,000 (0.3% penetration) in 2005 to 269,000 (6% penetration) in 2007. Further information on this growth has been difficult to access. It is therefore hard to judge whether this growth pattern will continue.
- From totally different perspectives both Thailand and Myanmar must seriously address regulatory reform. Thailand needs to work to get fresh momentum in its stalled reform processes; Myanmar needs to get some sort of reform process started. The latter has a long way to go.
Mobile, Fixed-line & Internet Penetration, 2006
Mobile Penetration-57%
Fixed-line Penetration-11%
Internet*Penetration-8%
Example about the tourism statistic 2007: CAMBODIA TOURIST STATISTICAL REPORT
Cambodia’s tourism industry continued to grow in 2007, with international visitors arrivals reached a total of 2,015,128; an 18.53% increase compared over 2006 figure of 1,700,041; Siem Reap Angkor arrivals had increased with 1,120,586 visitors, representing 55.61%, an amazing 30.83% growth from last year, while Phnom Penh and other destinations had brought in a total of 894,542 visitors (44.39%).
Mode of arrivals:The total number of visitor arrivals in Cambodia by air in 2007 was 1,296,513 (64.34%), an increase of 26.23%. This consisted of flights that had been scheduled through the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International Airport.
Phnom Penh International Airport had 535,262 visitor arrivals this month, representing 26.56%, with an increase of 25.24%, while Siem Reap International Airport dominated 761,251 visitor arrivals (37.78%), an extraordinary rise with 26.94% up.
Other travelers went via Land & Waterways, which made up about one-third of the total number of visitor arrivals 576,054 (28.59%)
Visitors arriving by land comprised of 532,366 (26.42%)
Waterways made up of 43,688 visitor arrivals (2.17%), giving it an increase of 9.81%.
Same-day visitors brought in 142,561 (7.07%)
Top ten markets arrivals
The Republic of Korea maintained its leading position, being at the top with 329,909 with a share of 16.37% and 15.61% increase in arrivals from last year. Japan ranks in second with 161,973 visitors which accounted for 8.04%, grew by 2.29% from 2006-2007. It is followed by the US, with a 137,539 arrivals which shares 6.83% and a 11.06% increase from that of last year.
Other countries visitors and change were as follows: Vietnam 77,524 (+61.81%); China 118,417 (+47.03%); Taiwan 118,180 (+38.81%); Thailand 101,590 (+32.02%); France 90,168 (+25.27%); United Kingdom 84,103 (+14.01%); Malaysia 84,039 (+9.10%).
That all for today, you see the benefit of statistics in the market research field.Next Monday, I will write about Statistical methods : Experimental and observational studies and Levels of measurement,so on.
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Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_statistics
http://www.chinaccm.com/4S/4S16/4S1605/news/20070919/135221.asp
http://www.chinaccm.com/4S/4S16/4S1607/news/20070410/114556.asp
http://www.tourismforum.scb.se/TSA.asp
http://www.mot.gov.kh/statistic.asp