Inference

Pronunciation: /ˈɪn.fər.əns/ Explain

1. (Logic) When logical arguments are linked together, an inference is what one can conclude from the logical arguments.

   Example

   Statement	Description
   All men are mortal.	First premise
   Socrates is a man.	Second premise
   Therefore Socrates is mortal.	Inference or conclusion
   Table 1: Deductive inference example

2. (Statistics) An inference is a reasonable conclusion reached by studying data. An example of an inference is: 62% of 18-25-year-olds prefer this soda to its competitor.

References

1. McAdams, David E.. All Math Words Dictionary, inference. 2nd Classroom edition 20150108-4799968. pg 98. Life is a Story Problem LLC. January 8, 2015. Buy the book

Cite this article as:

McAdams, David E. Inference. 12/26/2018. All Math Words Encyclopedia. Life is a Story Problem LLC. http://www.allmathwords.org/en/i/inference.html.

Revision History

12/26/2018: Added definition specific to statistics. (McAdams, David E.)
12/21/2018: Reviewed and corrected IPA pronunication. (McAdams, David E.)
8/6/2018: Removed broken links, updated license, implemented new markup, implemented new Geogebra protocol. (McAdams, David E.)
8/11/2008: Added 'More Information'. (McAdams, David E.)
7/15/2007: Initial version. (McAdams, David E.)