Abstract
Let us think, particularly, about Statistics. Statistics is simply the science of data. It is usually also “applied” because research, most of the times, also implies an application. Statistics is interesting and useful because it provides strategies and instruments to work the data in a way that we can better understand real problems. Data are numbers (or the lack of numbers) inserted in a certain context or experience. To determine the average of 50 numbers is pure algebra, it’s not Statistics. To decide over that value of 50 and to choose whether we have a small or a large sample is, in each case, to assume the difference of a certain value (even if we use the average determined before!)—is, in fact, Statistics.
Moreover, let us think, what are the main topics of Statistics for the twenty-first century? What is now “important” comes from the previous century? In one recent ISI congress—International Statistical Institute—(now called ISI WSC—World Statistics Congress) the topic “Water” was elected for a whole day of scientific lectures. Why?
Thinking about investigation, let us bring up the expression “quos fama obscura recondit”. [Thinking about investigation. This great expression by Virgil, The Aeneid (Eneid, V, 302) is used, among many other, by Saint Augustine, De civitate dei, (The City of God, volume I, Book VII, Chapter III, p. 611 and so on. Education Service. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, 1991).] On the one hand, in the dichotomy between the “minor reason” and “a higher reason”, should the statistician have, as a goal, (only) the knowledge which allows him to cover all the basic scientific requirements? On the other hand, that knowledge should be the beginning and statistics still assumes the great importance of “scientific details” of those who are hidden by an obscure fame—let’s call them outliers. They are stimulators of research and they can be originated by different values of the same sample. A minority!
Are these “minors” who make science go forward?! The strength is in them!
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Notes
- 1.
Murteira in [4] quoting Gustavo de Castro, 1952, Mathematical Statistics as a Scientific Tool, pp. 52–64.
- 2.
Brief summary on this topic. For further information read [7].
- 3.
The Roman goddess who, such as the Greek analogous Tyche, operated as she pleased, both happiness and sorrow, according to her wit.
- 4.
Also for scientific reasons!
- 5.
It is always the search for Truth that is the issue!
- 6.
Talking about outliers, let us remind this topic. The sentence is from Almada Negreiros (p. 125, Mathematics and Culture. Furtado Coelho et al., 1992. Edições Cosmos). This was a topic of discussion in a conference held by Tiago de Oliveira (ib, pp. 125–149). Statistics goes well with chance and they both create need. It is a recurring topic which entitled an edition of SPE—Statistics with Chance and Need; Proceedings of the 11th Annual Congress.
- 7.
About this topic, read the “small expedition” presented by Tiago de Oliveira (ib, pp. 125–128).
- 8.
The articles by Efron and Rao on this matter are important, in [5].
- 9.
- 10.
[2] for details.
References
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Acknowledgements
Research partially funded by FCT, Portugal, through the project Pest-OE/MAT/UI0006/2011.
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Rosado, F. (2014). Outliers: The Strength of Minors. In: Pacheco, A., Santos, R., Oliveira, M., Paulino, C. (eds) New Advances in Statistical Modeling and Applications. Studies in Theoretical and Applied Statistics(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05323-3_2
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