Uncertainty: Theory & Practice

Human beings constantly analyze data, looking for patterns and evaluating alternative decisions. Many volumes have been devoted to the formal analysis of data, most often under the title of statistics. I have analyzed a great deal of data over my career as an engineer. It has been my experience that many of these formal treatments are idealistic, incomplete, or inconsistent-that is, inadequate. In this text we will consider actual data (along with the usual fabricated, hypothetical data, such as IQ scores). We will also consider statistical measures and how these compare to the real world we must live and work in. All of the software discussed is available free online.