Hypothesis Test

Setting up and testing hypotheses is an essential part of statistical

inference. In order to formulate such a test, usually some theory has been
put forward, either because it is believed to be true or because it is to be
used as a basis for argument, but has not been proved, for example,
claiming that a new drug is better than the current drug for treatment of
the same symptoms.
In each problem considered, the question of interest is simplified into two
competing claims / hypotheses between which we have a choice; the null
hypothesis, denoted H0, against the alternative hypothesis, denoted H1.
These two competing claims / hypotheses are not however treated on an
equal basis: special consideration is given to the null hypothesis.
We have two common situations:
1. The experiment has been carried out in an attempt to disprove or
reject a particular hypothesis, the null hypothesis, thus we give that
one priority so it cannot be rejected unless the evidence against it is
sufficiently strong. For example,
H0: there is no difference in taste between coke and diet coke
against
H1: there is a difference.

2. If one of the two hypotheses is 'simpler' we give it priority so that a
more 'complicated' theory is not adopted unless there is sufficient
evidence against the simpler one. For example, it is 'simpler' to
claim that there is no difference in flavour between coke and diet
coke than it is to say that there is a difference.
The hypotheses are often statements about population parameters like
expected value and variance; for example H0 might be that the expected
value of the height of ten year old boys in the Scottish population is not
different from that of ten year old girls. A hypothesis might also be a
statement about the distributional form of a characteristic of interest, for
example that the height of ten year old boys is normally distributed within
the Scottish population.
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orrect num
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n or prior r
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s claim tha
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l hypothes
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or using a
at there ar
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