Abstract

SUMMARY

A particularly simple range-type estimator of the standard deviation of a normal population having a convenient form for all sample sizes is considered and further results showing its high efficiency are derived. The distribution of this estimator is shown to be closely approximated by a χdistribution with noninteger degrees of freedom. This approximation allows the usual tests of significance for the population parameters to be carried out using existing tables of percentage points. Application of this estimator is illustrated by means of the analogue of Student's one-sample t test.

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