Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences

by Bevington, Philip; Robinson, D. Keith

• ISBN13: 9780072472271
• ISBN10: 0072472278
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-23
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

Summary

The purpose of this book is to provide an introduction to the concepts of statistical analysis of data for students at the undergraduate and graduate level, and to provide tools for data reduction and error analysis commonly required in the physical sciences. The presentation is developed from a practical point of view, including enough derivation to justify the results, but emphasizing methods of handling data more than theory. The text provides a variety of numerical and graphical techniques. Computer programs that support these techniques will be available on an accompanying website in both Fortran and C++.

Table of Contents

1 Uncertainties in Measurements

2 Probability Distributions

3 Error Analysis

4 Estimates of Mean and Errors

5 Monte Carlo Techniques

6 Least-Squares Fit to a Straight Line

7 Least-Squares Fit to a Polynomial

8 Least-Squares Fit to an Arbitrary Function

9 Fitting Composite Curves

10 Direct Application of the Maximum-Likelihood Method

11 Testing the Fit

Appendix A Numerical Methods

Appendix B Matrices

Appendix C Graphs and Tables

Appendix D Histograms and Graphs

Appendix E Computer Routines in Fortran