This paper is from Session 7D: Statistics education for engineering
which comes under Topic 7: Statistics education and the wider society
(Thursday 15th, 14:00-16:00)
Statistics for the working engineer — bridging theory and reality using simulation
Presenter
- Ingemar Sjöström (Ing-Stat, Sweden)
Abstract
Engineers study and use mathematics during all years of training. However, the mathematics is regarded as formulas that produces a certain result given some input. But in statistics we often talk about the mathematics as models.As children the engineers used models of different kinds – many toys were models of real things. Also, they tried their models by twisting, turning, tearing, pressing, tasting (!), assemblying, destroying, etc, as a kind of test of sensitivity and usefulness and to learn more about the model.
When learning statistics the engineers also study models – including how to add them into larger structures by linear or non-linear combinations using often complicated mathematical theories, all with a touch of randomness. An extremely efficient way to understand what goes on, how different parameter settings influence the result, is by performing simulations. When explaning the results to colleagues, a simulation is an invaluable possibility.