Tools for Nonparametric Statistics

Nonparametric statistics is concerned with the development of distribution free methods to solve various statistical problems. Examples include tests for a monotonic trend, or tests of hypotheses that two samples come from the same distribution. One of the important tools in nonparametric statistics is the use of ranking data. When the data is transformed into ranks, one gains the simplicity that objects may be more easily compared. For example, if web pages are ranked in accordance to some criterion, one obtains a quick summary of choices. In this chapter, we will study linear rank statistics which are functions of the ranks.