ABSTRACT
We can use no better examples than the index, frequency distribution, and the average to demonstrate how effortlessly statistics can be learned. They are simple in concept and easy in calculation. The ubiquitous index is widely used by government agencies, businesses, and industries to indicate the change of prices, and even the crime rates over time. The index, however, is not particularly popular among academicians, because it is primitive for some and too biased for others. Frequency distribution, a dominant form of statistical presentations before World War II, has lost its glow, as more and more multivariate statistical presentations can be used, thanks to the computer. Both the index and frequency distribution, although seemingly beneath the dignity of some statistician worth his or her salt, are vital to the normal functions of a modern society. It is no exaggeration that the United States government governs with and we are governed by indices and frequency distributions.
