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By doing good statistics. No-one cares whether a model's application is well founded. What matters is if it's predictions hold up statistically. This means lots
by rocqua 9y ago
By doing good statistics. No-one cares whether a model's application is well founded. What matters is if it's predictions hold up statistically. This means lots of validation runs and defense against overfitting. That can all be done while viewing the model as a black-box.
Model knowledge certainly helps, but it isn't neccesary.
- ocfx 9y agoisnt statistics math
- flohrian 9y agostatistics ⊂ math
- NumberCruncher 9y ago"Statistics is a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization of data." /wikipedia/
- Fomite 9y agoThe relationship between math and statistics is an interesting one. In my experience, "Statistics is a form of Math" is true when the math folks want it to be, and is a totally separate thing that doesn't belong in the club at all when they don't.
- dsacco 9y agoI've never seen a mathematician claim that statistics is not a branch of mathematics. Nor would that really make sense. You can certainly practice statistics in a way that mathematicians would take issue with, but it's intrinsically a branch of math.
- Fomite 9y agoI've seen a number of mathematicians take umbrage at the idea of describing statisticians as mathematicians, or even applied mathematicians.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- NumberCruncher 9y agoThinking that we are somehow special makes us feel better. The truth is that we are not.
- dsacco 9y ago"Doing good statistics" implies doing mathematics. In my opinion the meme that statistics is not math is perpetuated by people who have experience with statistics and not much exposure to other areas of mathematics. It might not "look" or "feel" like a lot of other undergraduate math but that doesn't mean it isn't. Just because you're not attacking problems formalized with the underlying probability theory doesn't mean you're not practicing mathematics when you practice statistics. It's not a separate discipline.
- rocqua 9y agoSure, but when people say 'I don't like math' that is mostly about linear algebra, calculus and analysis.