Measurement: A Very Short Introduction

Measurement: A Very Short Introduction
ISBN-10
0191085014
ISBN-13
9780191085017
Series
Measurement
Category
Mathematics
Pages
144
Language
English
Published
2016-09-29
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Author
David J. Hand

Description

Measurement is a fundamental concept that underpins almost every aspect of the modern world. It is central to the sciences, social sciences, medicine, and economics, but it affects everyday life. We measure everything - from the distance of far-off galaxies to the temperature of the air, levels of risk, political majorities, taxes, blood pressure, IQ, and weight. The history of measurement goes back to the ancient world, and its story has been one of gradual standardization. Today there are different types of measurement, levels of accuracy, and systems of units, applied in different contexts. Measurement involves notions of variability, accuracy, reliability, and error, and challenges such as the measurement of extreme values. In this Very Short Introduction, David Hand explains the common mathematical framework underlying all measurement, the main approaches to measurement, and the challenges involved. Following a brief historical account of measurement, he discusses measurement as used in the physical sciences and engineering, the life sciences and medicine, the social and behavioural sciences, economics, business, and public policy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Other editions

Similar books

  • Probability: A Very Short Introduction
    By John Haigh

    ... Foster ARCHAEOLOGY Paul Bahn ARCHITECTURE Andrew Ballantyne ARISTOCRACY William Doyle ARISTOTLE Jonathan Barnes ART ... John Sutherland THE BIBLE John Riches BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY Eric H. Cline BIOGRAPHY Hermione Lee THE BLUES Elijah ...

  • Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction
    By John Polkinghorne

    ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.

  • Risk: A Very Short Introduction
    By Baruch Fischhoff, John Kadvany

    This Very Short Introduction examines what science has learned about how people deal with risks, what we can learn through decision theory, and how we can evaluate risk in our own lives.

  • Navigation
    By Jim Bennett

    ... and he used this to move a pair of curb pins that automatically. 9. Marine chronometer by Thomas Earnshaw, London, c.1800. Inside the movement has Earnshaw's spring-detent escapement and temperature compensation balance.

  • Statistics: A Very Short Introduction
    By David J. Hand

    ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.

  • Measurement Theory and Practice: The World Through Quantification
    By David J. Hand

    This book lifts the corner of that veil and, in doing so, shows that there are aspects of the familiar world that are occasionally puzzling, sometimes downright extraordinary, and often more intriguing than is generally believed.

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
    By R. E. Passingham

    This volume describes the new field of cognitive neuroscience - the study of what happens in the brain when we perceive, think, reason, remember, and act.

  • Galileo: A Very Short Introduction
    By Stillman Drake

    ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.

  • History: A Very Short Introduction
    By John Arnold, John H., School of History Classics and Archaeology Professor of History School of History Classics and Archaeology Birkbeck University of London)

    Starting with an examination of how historians work, this "Very Short Introduction" aims to explore history in a general, pithy, and accessible manner, rather than to delve into specific periods.

  • Enzymes: A Very Short Introduction
    By Paul Engel

    THE ICE AGE Jamie Woodward IDENTITY Florian Coulmas IDEOLOGY Michael Freeden THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Paul Klenerman INDIAN CINEMA Ashish Rajadhyaksha INDIAN PHILOSOPHY Sue Hamilton THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Robert C. Allen INFECTIOUS DISEASE ...