Population

Filed Under » ,
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Population'

The entire pool from which a statistical sample is drawn. The information obtained from the sample allows statisticians to develop hypotheses about the larger population. Researchers gather information from a sample because of the difficulty of studying the entire population. In statistical equations, population is usually denoted with a capital 'N', while the sample is usually denoted with a lowercase 'n'.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Population'

For example, let's say a denim apparel manufacturer wants to check the quality of the stitching on its blue jeans before shipping them off to retail stores. It is not cost effective to examine every single pair of blue jeans the manufacturer produces (the population). Instead, the manufacturer looks at just 50 pairs (a sample) to draw a conclusion about whether all 500 pairs of jeans produced (the population) are likely to have been stitched correctly.

Articles Of Interest

  1. 5 Ways To Measure Mutual Fund Risk

    These statistical measurements highlight how to mitigate risk and increase rewards.
  2. Introduction To Stationary And Non-Stationary Processes

    What to know about stationary and non-stationary processes before you try to model or forecast.
  3. Scenario Analysis Provides Glimpse Of Portfolio Potential

    This statistical method estimates how far a stock might fall in a worst-case scenario.
  4. Exploring The Current Account In The Balance Of Payments

    Learn how a country's current account balance reflects the country's economic health.
  5. Taking Shots At CAPM

    Find out why many investors think the capital asset pricing model is full of holes.
  6. George Soros: The Philosophy Of An Elite Investor

    George Soros spent decades as one of the world's elite investors, and even he didn't always come out on top. But when he did, it was spectacular.
  7. Understanding And Playing The Dow Jones Industrial Average

    Learn strategies for investing in this price-weighted index and how to interpret its movements.
  8. Introduction To International CAPM

    ICAPM is one of several models used to determine the required return on an asset, discover its limitations and how to use it.
  9. Arbitrage Squeezes Profit From Market Inefficiency

    This influential strategy capitalizes on the relationship between price and liquidity.
  10. Quants: The Rocket Scientists Of Wall Street

    Blend math, finance and computer skills to command a high - and well deserved - salary.
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions
  1. Xenocurrency

    A currency that trades in markets outside of its domestic borders.
  2. Wanton Disregard

    A standard of severe negligence. Wanton disregard is a very serious accusation that indicates that a person behaved extremely recklessly.
  3. Ultra ETF

    A class of exchange-traded funds (ETF) that employs leverage in an effort to achieve double the return of a set benchmark.
  4. Toehold Purchase

    A purchase of less than 5% of a target company's outstanding stockmade by an acquiring company. A toehold purchase of just under 5%, while not a significant stake in a firm, allows the shareholders a "toe-holds" grip on the company and its decision making.
  5. Samurai Bond

    A yen-denominated bond issued in Tokyo by a non-Japanese company and subject to Japanese regulations.
  6. Chartalism

    A non-mainstream theory of money that emphasizes the impact of government policies and activities on the value of money.
Trading Center