mathematics

Statistical Lab

Statistical Lab is a mathematics 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 Statistical Lab rather than just read about it. In short: The computer program Statistical Lab (Statistiklabor) is an explorative and interactive toolbox for statistical analysis and visualization of data. It supports educational applications of statistics in business administration, economics, social sciences and humanities.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The computer program Statistical Lab (Statistiklabor) is an explorative and interactive toolbox for statistical analysis and visualization of data. It supports educational applications of statistics in business administration, economics, social sciences and humanities. The program is developed and constantly advanced by the Center for Digital Systems of the Free University of Berlin. Their website states that the source code is available to private users under the GPL. So if a commercial user wishes to obtain a copy, then they must do so indirectly, from a private user who already has a copy (any of their employees will do). Simple or complex statistical problems can be simulated, edited and solved individually with the Statistical Lab. It can be extended by using external libraries. Via these libraries, it can also be adapted to individual and local demands like specific target groups. The versatile graphical diagrams allow demonstrative visualization of underlying data. The Statistical Lab is the successor of Statistik interaktiv!. In contrast to the commercial SPSS the Statistical Lab is didactically driven. It is focused on providing facilities for users with little statistical experience. It combines data frames, contingency tables, random numbers, matrices in a user friendly virtual worksheet. This worksheet allows users to explore the possibilities of calculations, analysis, simulations and manipulation of data. For mathematical calculations, the Statistical Lab uses the R package, which is a free implementation of the language S Plus (originally developed by Bell Laboratories).

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Statistical Lab

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Statistical Lab claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, 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 Statistical Lab 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 Statistical Lab 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 Statistical Lab

In research: Statistical Lab appears in mathematics 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 Statistical Lab 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: Statistical Lab is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Statistical software, Windows-only freeware, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Statistical Lab 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.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Statistical Lab in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Statistical Lab 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 Statistical Lab out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Statistical Lab in simple terms?

Why does Statistical Lab matter?

Because it connects several mathematics 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 Statistical Lab?

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 Statistical Lab.