statistikí

Statistikí, commonly translated as statistics, is the science and practice of collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data to extract information and support decision making. It combines mathematical theory with empirical data to describe real-world phenomena and to make inferences about populations from samples.

The field is usually divided into descriptive statistics, which summarize data through measures such as mean, median, mode, variance, and visualizations; and inferential statistics, which draw conclusions about larger populations using probability theory, estimation, hypothesis testing, and modeling.

Key concepts include population and sample, variables, data quality, sampling methods, bias, and uncertainty. Data can be qualitative or quantitative and can be measured on nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio scales. Descriptive tools include central tendency and dispersion; inferential tools include confidence intervals, p-values, regression, and design of experiments.

Statistics relies on probability as a mathematical foundation and is applied in many domains, such as science, economics, medicine, engineering, and public policy. Modern practice frequently uses computational tools and software, including R and Python, for data analysis, simulation, and visualization, along with statistical methods like Bayesian inference and machine learning when appropriate.

The term statistikí reflects the Greek word στατιστική for statistics. The discipline has roots in census-taking, astronomy, and commerce and matured through the work of mathematicians and statisticians in the 18th to 20th centuries. It remains essential for evidence-based decision making in uncertain situations.