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Depends on the level stats class your taking. Beyond 101, the formulas do get pretty sophisticated with the math if the computer isn't doing all of the work. Some professors require that you do it by hand, others prefer that you just know how to work the software and some prefer to know that you can do both. It isn't as easy as simple arithmetic though.
I would agree with this. Basic stat isn't really related to math, but some of the formulas in more advanced statistics are very much so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bettafish
Statistics for social sciences does not require a lot of algebra. Basically high school math is sufficient.
Statistics for science and engineering majors requires calculus and linear algebra.
Statistics for math and some computer science programs requires real analysis, such as measure theory, Hilbert space, functional analysis.
These models are certainly not covered in high school. What I mean is you don't need advanced mathematics to understand them.
For example, any statistics class will mention the Law of Large Numbers. For social science students, you basically just need to understand what it means.
For those in engineering, they probably need to know how to prove the "Weak Law of Large Numbers", which requires calculus.
Mathematics/statistics students, however, need to prove the "Strong Law of Large Numbers" too, which requires functional analysis (which engineering students don't learn.)
I've been going back and forth the last 5 years about going back to school. It would take me 2 years to get the certificate I want to get. Wish I'd just done it back then and I'd be done, but I didn't. Have to take a statistics class as a prerequiste for the program I want to finish. Since my last math class was 30 years ago (college algebra - I got an A in the class according to my transcript but I don't remember a thing about it), I thought I should retake college algebra to refresh my memory before taking statistics (college algebra is a prerequisite for statistics). About the second week in college algebra I realized I was in way over my head and I dropped the course. I was lost. And I was surprised that I was so stupid. Math was never my best subject, but I obviously was able 30 years ago to get through the class with an A. I got 100% on the first assignment and then the second was properties and radicals and even going over and over the online explanations of how to work out the problems I just didn't understand it.
Since I've already taken college algebra the school actually would let me enroll directly in statistics but I'm afraid I'd be in over my head, although I have heard people say you don't even use algebra in statistics and that statistics is much easier than algebra. I feel like I have no foundation at all in math anymore, though. I can add, subtract and divide.
I'm wondering if I should start at the very lowest math class and work my way, or start with elementary algebra, or intermediate algebra? Or if I should just take the statistics class and hope for the best? Or give up my idea of going back to school (I make decent money already, have my own business - for 19 years - but with techology advancing there is a chance the need for my business will be phased out in the not too distant future; have not been able to raise my prices all these years and now have even had to lower prices). I go back and forth with this, thinking if I just paid off all my debt (about $170,000 total, including house), then even if the industry/my business failed it would be okay because I wouldn't have to make a lot of money to get by. But then if it failed and I was had the certificate and was able to move into a different, but related, job, I would have the potential to make more money. But I'm 54 now and not getting any younger.
I took statistics many times and had my "ups" and "downs". The first time I took it in engineering I struggled with it. I had been a great calculus student many times but for some reason statistics just overwhelmed me. I took two semesters and sort of "got off the ground" for understanding it back in the 90s. But I never really felt confident in it. At the time, the professor gave negative feedback.
Over a decade later I took statistics again in public health and did great. But then in epidemiology it overwhelmed me. I studied methods of statistics for epidemiology (e.g. clinical trials) and it just blew me away. I switched programs because of it. Statistics just wasn't in my aptitude.
But when I "switched" I went into computer science. Over there, I took a course called "discrete math for computer science". That course goes into abstract algebra and data structures like graph theory, set theory, growth patterns, boundary values, digital logic, etc. That course I found was the key for me to master statistics.
Now that I have "discrete math" in my background, I recently dominated a midterm in engineering statistics and scored very high - an A+.
If you really want to master statistics, I recommend taking discrete math first. But just be warned it is a difficult course designed to "weed out" students. It usually does. But if you survive, statistics should be easier. https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Intr...mputer_Science
More importantly, you will need calculus to understand the more complex equations and theories behind them.
^^^^^This. Also, if you are planning to do any financial analysis, the concepts are also helpful. Yes, you should have advanced Algebra, and Calculus at a minimum.
^^^^^This. Also, if you are planning to do any financial analysis, the concepts are also helpful. Yes, you should have advanced Algebra, and Calculus at a minimum.
Pretty much. You can't complete a statistics degree at the university level without some basic calculus. If you're asked to find the integral of a probability density function then you would simply be out of luck.
Also, I think it's true that using statistical software doesn't require calculus, but it may require other math usually taught at the university level. R, for example, uses vector addition. So it would be good to understand things like linear algebra as well.
Hi,
I'm interested in doing b.s in statistics but I dont know cheap colleges that offer online degree of stats. Could anyone guide me? And google shows a good job growth and payscale for stats degree, does this degree really worth it?
Thanks
My daughter teaches statistics for psychology, although a lot of nursing students take her class too. I am pretty sure there are no pre-reqs.
Well, there's a pretty big difference between plugging numbers into equations someone gave you, versus deriving the equations. The example above of integrating a probability density function would be incomprehensible to someone without command of the calculus. If you are going to be a statistician you will need that level of mastery. For nursing, or psychology, you probably just need to be able to plug and chug.
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