Definition of Statistics
Statistics like many other sciences is a developing discipline. It is not nothing static. It has gradually developed during last few centuries. In different times, it has been defined in different manners. Some definitions of the past look very strange today but those definitions had their place in their own time. Defining a subject has always been difficult task. A good definition of today may be discarded in future. It is difficult to define statistics. Some of the definitions are reproduced here:
The kings and rulers in the ancient times were interested in their manpower. They conducted census of population to get information about their population. They used information to calculate their strength and ability for wars. In those days statistics was defined as
“The science of kings, political and science of statecraft”

1. A.L. Bowley defined statistics as
“Statistics is the science of counting”
This definition places the entries stress on counting only. A common man also thinks as if statistics is nothing but counting. This used to be the situation but very long time ago. Statistics today is not mere counting of people, counting of animals, counting of trees and counting of fighting force. It has now grown to a rich methods of data analysis and interpretation.

2. A.L. Bowley has also defined as
“Science of averages”
This definition is very simple but it covers only some area of statistics. Average is very simple important in statistics. Experts are interested in average deaths rates, average birth rates, average increase in population, and average increase in per capita income, average increase in standard of living and cost of living, average development rate, average inflation rate, average production of rice per acre, average literacy rate and many other averages of different fields of practical life. But statistics is