General assignment: Distribution analysis and comparison of distributions, visual analysis, statistical model fitting and testing of the nyt2, ... nyt31 datasets. The weighting score for each question is included below. Please use the question numbering below for your written responses for this assignment.
Please include code (fragments and/or scripts) and the plots you generate for the questions below.
1. For any 5 of the nyt datasets except nyt1, perform the following:
a. Create boxplots for all 5 datasets for each of two key variables (you choose these; i.e. two sets of plots with 5 boxplots per plot). Describe/summarize the distributions. min. 3-4 sentences.
b. Create histograms for all 5 datasets each of for two key variables (you choose the histogram bin width). Describe the distributions in terms of known parametric distributions and similarities/ differences among them. min. 3-4 sentences.
c. Plot the ECDFs for your two key variables. Plot the quantile-quantile distribution using a suitable parametric distribution you chose in 1b. Describe features of these plots. min. 3-4 sentences.
d. Perform a significance test that is suitable for the variables you are investigating. Discuss the test results and indicate whether the null hypothesis is valid. min. 3-4 sentences.
e. Discuss any observations you had about the datasets/ variables, other data in the dataset (0% ;-))
2. Graduate 6600-level question. Filter the distributions you explored in Q1 using one or more of the other variables for only 2 (not 5) of the nyt datasets.