Confidence interval: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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==Conceptual basis==

[[File:Confidenceinterval.png|thumb|200px|In this [[bar chart]], the top ends of the bars indicate observation [[mean]]s and the red [[line segment]]s represent the confidence intervals surrounding them. Although the bars are shown as symmetric in this chart, they do not have to be symmetric.]]

===Introduction===

[[Interval estimate]]s can be contrasted with [[point estimate]]s. A point estimate is a single value given as the estimate of a population parameter that is of interest, for example the mean of some quantity. An interval estimate specifies instead a range within which the parameter is estimated to lie. Confidence intervals are commonly reported in tables or graphs along with point estimates of the same parameters, to show the reliability of the estimates.