I'm new to statistics. Indicating my level here, I have about a semester of calculus and can somewhat grasp standard deviation, samples and populations.
I was working with some goal tracking numbers. For example, I wanted to see the last moving average for a period of a week on a particular variable.
I wanted to know if there is a nice series/sigma formula for determining the maximum moving average given a period (as well as a minimum). ie: determining the "golden age" for a variable as well as it's "dark age" if that makes any sense. And then using that as a target for the last week's goal (instead of just using the max which could be a total outlier).
Another question, that I found interesting as I was looking at this, was determining the period automatically and finding the best sine wave or find out how well the data might fit a sine wave. I discovered Fourier Transformation on the web and weighted moving averages and found this all used in signal processing and the stock market (wave theory in technical analysis/charting stocks).
Sooo. I was wondering if there is a formula (that I could understand in say algebraic/arithmetic terms) that could help me arrive at that. I do know I could write an algorithm and put it into a function of a program for the first problem but determining how to represent it mathematically or plug it into a spread sheet would be really nice to have. (as I am working with spreadsheets). I have also considered using "least squares" or "polynomial ordered maximums" (since I understand they are used in trend) but I wouldn't know which exponent to use there. (I've seen others do this and so I have picked up the terminology here without really deeply understanding it to the level I desire to).
Thank you.
I was working with some goal tracking numbers. For example, I wanted to see the last moving average for a period of a week on a particular variable.
I wanted to know if there is a nice series/sigma formula for determining the maximum moving average given a period (as well as a minimum). ie: determining the "golden age" for a variable as well as it's "dark age" if that makes any sense. And then using that as a target for the last week's goal (instead of just using the max which could be a total outlier).
Another question, that I found interesting as I was looking at this, was determining the period automatically and finding the best sine wave or find out how well the data might fit a sine wave. I discovered Fourier Transformation on the web and weighted moving averages and found this all used in signal processing and the stock market (wave theory in technical analysis/charting stocks).
Sooo. I was wondering if there is a formula (that I could understand in say algebraic/arithmetic terms) that could help me arrive at that. I do know I could write an algorithm and put it into a function of a program for the first problem but determining how to represent it mathematically or plug it into a spread sheet would be really nice to have. (as I am working with spreadsheets). I have also considered using "least squares" or "polynomial ordered maximums" (since I understand they are used in trend) but I wouldn't know which exponent to use there. (I've seen others do this and so I have picked up the terminology here without really deeply understanding it to the level I desire to).
Thank you.