Basically, the idea of "batteries included" should also mean that if something looks like you can put a D-cell in there, you're unlikely to blow your arm off.
Basically, the idea of "batteries included" should also mean that if something looks like you can put a D-cell in there, you're unlikely to blow your arm off.
Similarly, Excel/etc. support these functions without a "semester course in statistics." Instead, you'll find that there are many web pages from semester courses in statistics which end up teaching how to use Excel. The same would no doubt happen with Python.
I don't why a statistics standard library module needs to provide a "good explanation of when they're appropriate" to a higher standard than any other module. Python provides trigonometric and hyperbolic functions without teaching trigonometry. It provides complex numbers and cmath without teaching people about complex numbers. It provides several different random distribution functions without teaching anything about Pareto, Weibull, or von Mises distributions.
For that matter, data structures is a semester course as well, but the Python documentation doesn't teach those differences in its documentation of deque, stack, hash table, etc., nor describe algorithms like heapq and bisect.
"whether to do online or batch modes which can give different results". The PEP says it will prefer batch mode:
Concentrate on data in sequences, allowing two-passes over the data,
rather than potentially compromise on accuracy for the sake of a one-pass
algorithmSurely, it would be better to supply good implementations of algorithms rather than refrain from doing that, and letting programmers write and use bad ones instead?
IMO, the discussion should be about what c/should end up in the _standard_ library, and what is better put in a separate product/download.
Fair enough, but the same argument could be made about using an unskewed standard distribution on non-symmetrical datasets, a common error even among people who should know better.
I think binomial functions should be included, on the ground that they're very useful and their probability of misuse is only equal to the continuous statistical forms, not more so.
I think having a basic stats module always handy would be very convenient.
I absolutely agree. My only point was that these tools are sometimes misapplied, not at all to argue that they shouldn't be readily available. They should be.
...how to represent missing or discrete variables...
Don't. Just say no. Just give me the simple easy stuff. Most of us will be fine, and everyone else will know they need something better and won't bother.