The present book is a statistical course for undergraduate students in all fields of social and economic sciences. The book presents a manual on the course "General Theory of Statistics", including a series of not quite traditional topics. First of all, it concerns the mathematical bases of statistics and use of computer technologies in statistical probing. Thematic choice of the chapters and sections of the book is caused not only by interests and tastes of the authors, but also by modern tendencies in applied statistics and orientation of the given work.

To some detailed elaboration are considered basic topics of general theory of statistics, namely:

• the subject and method of statistics, its place among other sciences;
• elements of probability theory;
• bases of statistical observation;
• grouping, report, and presentation of statistical data;
• absolute and relative quantities;
• bases of averages method;
• correlation and regression analysis;
• elements of analysis of variation and time series;
• elements of the index method;
• computer means of statistical data analysis.

The book contains a series of concrete proposals for improvement of statistical practice; many of these proposals are based on our experience in practical statistical activity in statistical organs of the USSR and Estonia in the early nineties of the last century. A comparability aspect of the Soviet statistical school inheriting many traditions of the worldwide known Russian school of the probability theory and statistics, with western statistics can be interesting enough to the English-speaking reader both in historical and substantial respect.

This book has been written for a large enough audience of teachers, researchers, statisticians, students, collegians and users of statistics in behavioral and social sciences. Above all, the book is directed to a wide circle of the readers studying statistical disciplines in high schools and colleges; however, it can be useful also to persons independently studying statistics. The presence in the book of a of untraditional themes makes by its useful manual for all those who by and large adjoins in own activity to the statistical data analysis of various character and nature.

The novel features of this course are numerous examples of statistical procedures, implemented in environment of the well-known mathematical package Maple. The source codes of the given procedures are enclosed with the body text of the book, what allows to use them directly in the Maple environment with concrete data of the reader. The basic information on the package, presented in the last chapter of the book, is quite sufficient on initial stage of its use. In addition, collection of worksheets with the most frequent-used statistical procedures for Maple of releases 5 - 9.5 is presented. These and other procedures are in the user Library, allowing to carry out simple statistical data analysis of different nature and purpose in the Maple environment. The Library can be free-of-charge downloaded from our web sites presented below.

Material of the present book is based on three our Russian books whose pressrun was completely sold out. These books have been written on the basis of a series of courses of lectures on the General Theory of Statistics, Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics for undergraduate students of Universities of Byelorussia and Baltic countries, which specialize in the field of economic and social sciences (jurisprudence, international law, sociology, psychology, economics, banking, bookkeeping etc.). The book contains vast enough both English and Russian literature on different aspects of statistics. Along with that the book is supplied with numerous useful references concerning statistical organizations, statistical periodicals etc.

Taking into account more and more increasing role of statistical analysis (as one of the main prerequisites of ensuring of a feedback in management) for an ensuring of the reliable information in economics, finance, banking, business and management, there are all prerequisites that the offered book will find the numerous readers of the different level and spheres of activity.

Contact Author: