Inference and random samples
In the rest of this chapter, we assume that the observed data are a random sample from some population. Inference asks questions about characteristics of the underlying population distribution — unknown population parameters.
The null and alternative hypotheses specify values for the unknown parameters.
Categorical populations
For categorical populations, the unknowns are the population probabilities for the different categories. We focus on one category that is of particular interest ('success').
The null and alternative hypotheses are specified in terms of the probability of success, π.