What is a Bell Curve? A bell curve is the informal name of a graph that depicts a normal probability distribution. The term obtained its name due to the bell-shaped curve of the normal probability distribution graph. However, the term is not quite correct because the normal probability distribution is not the only probability distribution…
What is a Positively Skewed Distribution? In statistics, a positively skewed (or right-skewed) distribution is a type of distribution in which most values are clustered around the left tail of the distribution while the right tail of the distribution is longer. The positively skewed distribution is the direct opposite of the negatively skewed distribution. Central…
What is a Negatively Skewed Distribution? In statistics, a negatively skewed (also known as left-skewed) distribution is a type of distribution in which more values are concentrated on the right side (tail) of the distribution graph while the left tail of the distribution graph is longer. While normal distribution is the most commonly encountered type…
What is the Law of Large Numbers? In statistics and probability theory, the law of large numbers is a theorem that describes the result of repeating the same experiment a large number of times. The large numbers theorem states that if the same experiment or study is repeated independently a large number of times, the…
What is Insurance Deductible? Insurance deductible pertains to the amount of money on an insurance claim that you would pay before the coverage kicks in and the insurer pays. In other words, it’s the money that you would shell out of your own pocket before receiving insurance coverage. After paying your deductible, the insurance company…
What is a Government Shutdown? A government shutdown occurs when the US Congress does not approve or cannot resolve disagreements about the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. When the US Government shuts down, non-essential federal agencies cease operating, resulting in the non-delivery of services and non-payment of the salaries of government workers. During a…
What is Conditional Probability? Conditional probability is the probability of an event occurring given that another event has already occurred. The concept is one of the quintessential concepts in probability theory. Note that conditional probability does not state that there is always a causal relationship between the two events, as well as it does not…
What is the Bayes’ Theorem? In statistics and probability theory, the Bayes’ theorem (also known as the Bayes’ rule) is a mathematical formula used to determine the conditional probability of events. Essentially, the Bayes’ theorem describes the probability of an event based on prior knowledge of the conditions that might be relevant to the event….
What are Spreadsheet Risks? Spreadsheet risks do exist even in large businesses that use such programs. Though spreadsheets are considered among the most important and powerful tools for organizations and businesses over the past several decades, that doesn’t take away the fact that spreadsheets are subject to human errors. In addition, they can be easily…
