This book covers all the topics found in introductory descriptive statistics courses, including simple linear regression and time series analysis, the fundamentals of inferential statistics (probability theory, random sampling and estimation theory), and inferential statistics itself (confidence intervals, testing). Each chapter starts with the necessary theoretical background, which is followed by a variety of examples. The core examples are based on the content of the respective chapter, while the advanced examples, designed to deepen students' knowledge, also draw on information and material from previous chapters. The enhanced online version helps students grasp the complexity and the practical relevance of statistical analysis through interactive examples and is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students taking their first statistics courses, as well as for undergraduate students in non-mathematical fields, e.g. economics, the social sciences etc.

This book covers all the topics found in introductory descriptive statistics courses, including simple linear regression and time series analysis, the fundamentals of inferential statistics (probability theory, random sampling and estimation theory), and inferential statistics itself (confidence intervals, testing). Each chapter starts with the necessary theoretical background, which is followed by a variety of examples. The core examples are based on the content of the respective chapter, while the advanced examples, designed to deepen students' knowledge, also draw on information and material from previous chapters. The enhanced online version helps students grasp the complexity and the practical relevance of statistical analysis through interactive examples and is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students taking their first statistics courses, as well as for undergraduate students in non-mathematical fields, e.g. economics, the social sciences etc.

This COMPSTAT 2002 book contains the Keynote, Invited, and Full Contributed papers presented in Berlin, August 2002. A companion volume including Short Communications and Posters is published on CD. The COMPSTAT 2002 is the 15th conference in a serie of biannual conferences with the objective to present the latest developments in Computational Statistics and is taking place from August 24th to August 28th, 2002. Previous COMPSTATs were in Vienna (1974), Berlin (1976), Leiden (1978), Edinburgh (1980), Toulouse (1982), Pra ue (1984), Rome (1986), Copenhagen (1988), Dubrovnik (1990), Neuchatel (1992), Vienna (1994), Barcelona (1996), Bris tol (1998) and Utrecht (2000). COMPSTAT 2002 is organised by CASE, Center of Applied Statistics and Eco nomics at Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin in cooperation with F'reie Universitat Berlin and University of Potsdam. The topics of COMPSTAT include methodological applications, innovative soft ware and mathematical developments, especially in the following fields: statistical risk management, multivariate and robust analysis, Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods, statistics of E-commerce, new strategies in teaching (Multimedia, In ternet), computerbased sampling/questionnaires, analysis of large databases (with emphasis on computing in memory), graphical tools for data analysis, classification and clustering, new statistical software and historical development of software."

Die vorliegende Arbeit entstand wahrend meiner Tatigkeit als wissenschaftlicher Mit- arbeiter am Institiut fur Steuerungstechnik der Werkzeugmaschinen und Fertigungs- einrichtungen (ISW) der Universitat Stuttgart. Dem Direktor des Instituts, Herrn Professor Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. G. Pritschow gilt mein besonderer Dank fur seine Unterstutzung und Foerderung der zu Grunde liegenden Forschungsarbeiten sowie fur die UEbernahme des Hauptberichts. Fur die Erstellung des Mitberichts danke ich sehr herzlich Herrn Professor Dr.-Ing. habil. H. Hugel. Herrn Dr.-Ing. K.-H. Wurst danke ich in besonderem Masse fur die sorgfliltige Durch- sicht der Arbeit und seine wertvollen Vorschlaile. Das kollegiale Umfeld am Institut und die Vielzahl von Diskussionen mit meinen Kolleginnen, Kollegen und Studenten haben wesentlich zum Gelingen dieser Arbeit bei- getragen. Hierfur moechte ich mich bei allen, insbesondere den Kollegen aus der Abtei- lung 4, sehr herzlich bedanken. Ich machte mich an dieser Stelle auch bei den Mitarbeitern der mechanischen und der elektrischen Werstatt fur die gute Zusammenarbeit bedanken. Dieser Dank gilt ebenso den Damen im Sekretariat, in der Bibliothek und im technischen Buro. Mein ganz besonderer Dank gebuhrt meiner Frau Birgit, die mir wahrend der Entstehung dieser Arbeit den notwendigen Ruckhalt gegeben hat.