Applications of Statistics to Libraries and Wrestling

Professor Mick Norton
Department of Mathematics, College of Charleston
6:00pm - 7:00pm, February 3 (Tuesday)
Room 205, Capers Hall

ABSTRACT For the first application, a case study shows the kind of statistical thinking which helped a library improve its book availability. By using barcodes to identify random lists of books, taking small monthly samples, and updating a simple control chart, the library was able to discover causes of book unavailability, determine if system changes were needed, and determine if changes were successful.

The second application is a statistical attempt to answer a curious question which arises in amateur wrestling: "When a weigh-in shows that you are slightly overweight for a particular weight class, does standing on your head prior to a reweigh really help you "lose" weight?"