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Hypothesis in Statistics

In statistics, a hypothesis is an assumption or conjecture about a specific characteristic or relationship in a population.

Characteristics of a Hypothesis:

• Formulated based on observations or theories.
• Can be testable and verifiable.
• Used in statistical analyses to draw conclusions.

Null Hypothesis and Alternative Hypothesis

In many statistical tests, two hypotheses are formulated: the Null Hypothesis (H0) and the Alternative Hypothesis (H1).

Null Hypothesis (H0):

The null hypothesis is a statement assuming no significant change or effect in the population. It serves as the starting point for statistical tests.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1):

The alternative hypothesis is a statement assuming a significant change, effect, or relationship in the population. It is formulated to test a deviation from the null hypothesis.

Example:

Suppose we conduct a t-test to check if the average of two groups is the same. The null hypothesis could state there is no significant difference (H0: μ1 = μ2), while the alternative hypothesis suggests a significant difference (H1: μ1 ≠ μ2).