computer science

SigmaStat

SigmaStat is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SigmaStat rather than just read about it. In short: SigmaStat is a statistical software package, which was originally developed by Jandel Scientific Software in the 1980s. As of October 1996, Systat Software is now based in San Jose, California.

Key takeaways

SigmaStat belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SigmaStat to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SigmaStat from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SigmaStat is a statistical software package, which was originally developed by Jandel Scientific Software in the 1980s. As of October 1996, Systat Software is now based in San Jose, California. SigmaStat can compare effects among groups, conduct survival analysis, analyze rates and proportions, perform regression and correlation analysis and calculate power and sample size. The program uses a wizard-based interface which asks the user questions about the project and its data. After a test is run, the user receives a detailed report that interprets the results. If installed with SigmaPlot, SigmaStat integrated with SigmaPlot and SigmaPlot gained advanced statistical analysis capabilities from version 11. SigmaStat is available both as a separate product or is available integrated with SigmaPlot. On February 1, 2016, SigmaStat version 4 was relaunched as a separate Advisory Statistics Software by Systat Software Inc.

Version history Version 1.0 : 1994 Version 2.0 : 1997 Version 3.0 : 2003 Version 3.1 : 2005 Version 3.5 : 2007 (integrated with SigmaPlot 10) Version 4.0 : 2008 (integrated with SigmaPlot 11) Version 4.00 : Relaunched as SigmaStat version 4.00 on February 1, 2016.

External links Systat Webpage SigmaPlot Webpage Systat Software Webpage

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SigmaStat

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SigmaStat claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SigmaStat before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SigmaStat ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SigmaStat

In research: SigmaStat appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SigmaStat in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SigmaStat is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Proprietary software, Statistical software, Windows-only software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SigmaStat outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SigmaStat in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SigmaStat means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SigmaStat out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SigmaStat in simple terms?

SigmaStat is a statistical software package, which was originally developed by Jandel Scientific Software in the 1980s. As of October 1996, Systat Software is now based in San Jose, California.

Why does SigmaStat matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SigmaStat?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SigmaStat.