Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers

Abstract

This is an introductory textbook for a first course in applied statistics and probability for undergraduate students in engineering and the physical or chemical sciences. These individuals play a significant role in designing and developing new products and manufacturing systems and processes, and they also improve existing systems. Statistical methods are an important tool in these activities because they provide the engineer with both descriptive and analytical methods for dealing with the variability in observed data. Although many of the methods we present are fundamental to statistical analysis in other disciplines, such as business and management, the life sciences, and the social sciences, we have elected to focus on an engineering-oriented audience. We believe that this approach will best serve students in engineering and the chemical/physical sciences and will allow them to concentrate on the many applications of statistics in these disciplines. We have worked hard to ensure that our examples and exercises are engineering- and science-based, and in almost all cases we have used examples of real data—either taken from a published source or based on our consulting experiences. We believe that engineers in all disciplines should take at least one course in statistics. Unfortunately, because of other requirements, most engineers will only take one statistics course. This book can be used for a single course, although we have provided enough material for two courses in the hope that more students will see the important applications of statistics in their everyday work and elect a second course. We believe that this book will also serve as a useful reference. We have retained the relatively modest mathematical level of the first four editions. We have found that engineering students who have completed one or two semesters of calculus should have no difficulty reading almost all of the text. It is our intent to give the reader an understanding of the methodology and how to apply it, not the mathematical theory. We have made many enhancements in this edition, including reorganizing and rewriting major portions of the book and adding a number of new exercises