What is Population (statistics)?
In [[statistics]], a '''population''' is a [[set]] of things from which [[sample (statistics)|samples]] may be drawn. This allows [[statistical inference]]s to be drawn, or [[estimate]]s made of the total population. For example, if we were interested in [[crow]]s, then we would sample the set of crows which is of interest. The population of crows is limited to crows that exist now or in the future. Probably, [[geography]] will be a limitation in practice. To fairly represent the whole population a sample needs to be [[random sample|random]]. Population is also used to refer to a set of [[measurement]]s or values, not only cases actually observed. Suppose, for example, we are interested in the set of all adult crows now alive in the county of [[Cambridgeshire]], and we want to know the [[mean (statistics)|mean]] weight of these birds. For each bird in the population of crows there is a weight, and the set of these weights is called the population of weights. {{statistics}} [[Category:Statistics]] {{-}} {{math-stub}}