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AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

UNIT 1: Mathematical Methods in Statistics

Limit and continuity; Differentiation of functions, Successive differentiation, Partial
differentiation. Mean value theorems, Taylor and Maclaurin's series; Integration of
rational, irrational and trignometric functions.
Differential equations of first order, Linear differential equations of higher order with
constant coefficients.
Simple interpolation; Divided differences; Numerical differentiation and integration.
Group, Ring, Field and Vector spaces, Subspaces, Basis, Gram Schmidt's
orthogonalization; Galois field, Fermat's theorem and primitive elements.
Linear independence and dependence of vectors, Row and column spaces; Sub-
matrices and partitioned matrices; Determinant, rank and inverse of a matrix;
Determinant and inverse of partitioned matrices; Special matrices - Unitary, Similar,
Hadamard, Circulant, Helmert's, Idempotent and Orthogonal. Eigen values and eigen
vectors. Spectral decomposition of matrices.
Kronecker and Hadamard product of matrices, Kronecker sum of matrices,
Permutation matrices, Full rank factorization. Grammian root of a symmetric matrix.
Generalized inverses, Moore-Penrose inverse, Applications of generalized inverse;
Generalized inverse of partitioned matrices; Solutions of linear equations, Equations
having many solutions; Spectral decomposition of matrices; Differentiation and
integration of matrices; Quadratic forms.

UNIT 2: Probability and Mathematical Statistics

Elements of measure theory, Borel field, Probability measure: Random variable,
Axiomatic approach to probability; Laws of addition and multiplication; Bayes’
theorem.
Discrete and continuous variables; Functions of random variables; Distribution
function and its properties. Univariate and bivariate probability distributions;
Conditional and marginal distributions; Independence of random variables;
Transformation of random variables. Chebyshev’s inequality; Bernoulli weak law of
large numbers; Kolmogorov strong law of large numbers; Central limit theorem;
Demoviere-Laplace central limit theorem.
Bernoulli, Binomial, Poisson, Negative binomial, Geometric, Hypergeometric and
Uniform distributions. Rectangular, Normal, Exponential, Gamma, Beta, Cauchy and
Lognormal distributions. Bivariate normal distribution. Probability distributions of
functions of random variables. Family of Pearson distributions.
Mathematical expectation; Mathematical expectation of functions of random variables;
Moment generating function, Characteristic function; Raw and central moments. Mean
and variance of above mentioned distributions. Sampling distributions; Distribution of
mean, difference between two means and correlation coefficient; Central t, F and chi-
square distributions, their properties and interrelationships; Variance stabilizing
transformations.
Order statistics; Distribution of rth order statistic; Joint distribution of several order
statistics and their functions; Distribution of range and median.

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UNIT 3: Statistical Inference
Point estimation: Mean square error; Unbiasedness, Consistency, Sufficiency,
Completeness; Neyman factorization theorem with application; Minimum variance
unbiased estimator; Cramer Rao inequality; Rao Blackwell theorem.
Methods of estimation: Method of moments, Method of minimum chisquare, Method of
maximum likelihood, their properties and applications. Confidence interval estimation
for parameters of Normal, Exponential, Binomial and Poisson distributions.
Testing of hypothesis; Neyman Pearson lemma; Unbiased test; Uniformly most
powerful unbiased tests and their constructions. One and two-sample tests about
mean, variance, proportion, simple correlation coefficient and simple regression
coefficient; Behrens-Fisher problem; Bartlett’s chi-square test; Likelihood ratio test
and its asymptotic properties. Chi-square tests of goodness of fit and independence.
Non-parametric tests, Robust statistics, One and two-sample sign and Wilcoxon sign
rank tests, run test for randomness, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis
and Friedman's tests, Kendall's coefficient of concordance.
Elements of sequential analysis; Wald's sequential probability ratio test.

UNIT 4: Applied Multivariate Analysis

Concept of random vector, Expectation operator, Dispersion matrix, Marginal and joint
distribution, Conditional distribution and Independence of random vectors.
Multinomial distribution. Multivariate normal distribution, Marginal and conditional
distributions. Sample mean vector and its distribution; Maximum likelihood estimates
of mean vector and dispersion matrix. Tests of hypotheses about mean vector.
Wishart distribution and its properties; Hotelling's T 2 and Mahalanobis’ D2 statistics;
Null distribution of Hotelling's T2; Rao's U statistic and its distribution.
Multivariate analysis of variance; Wilk's lambda criterion and its properties;
Discriminant analysis, Computation of linear discriminant function (LDF),
Classification between two multivariate normal populations based upon LDF and
Mahalanobis’ D2.
Canonical correlations; Factor analysis; Principal component analysis; Principal co-
ordinate analysis; Cluster analysis, Similarities and Dissimilarities, Hierarchical
clustering, Single and complete linkage methods.
Path analysis and computation of path coefficients; Multi-dimensional scaling;
Categorical data analysis.

UNIT 5: Design of Experiments

Theory of linear estimation; Gauss Markoff theorem; Aitkin's transformation;
Hypothesis testing and analysis of variance; Analysis of covariance; Restricted
estimation; Random, fixed and mixed effects models.
Basic principles of design of experiments; Orthogonality; Contrast, Mutually
orthogonal contrasts.
Completely randomized, Randomized complete block and Latin square designs;
Missing plot technique; Orthogonal and mutually orthogonal Latin squares; Graeco
Latin square designs.
Balanced incomplete block (BIB) designs, Symmetrical BIB designs, General
properties, Analysis without and with recovery of intra-block information,
Construction of BIB designs; Partially balanced incomplete block (PBIB) designs with
two associate classes, General properties; Lattice designs; Alpha designs; Cyclic
designs; Augmented designs; General analysis of block designs; Youden square

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designs; Cross-over designs.
Factorial experiments, Confounding in 2n and 3n factorial experiments, Partial and
total confounding; Fractional factorial designs for symmetrical factorials.
Asymmetrical factorials. Split-plot and strip-plot designs. Combined analysis of
experiments.
Designs for fitting first order and second order response surfaces, Second order
rotatable designs.
Multiple comparison procedures; Sampling in field experiments.

UNIT 6: Sample Surveys

Complete survey vs sample survey; Probability sampling vs purposive sampling;
Sampling error; Sample space, Sampling design, Sampling strategy; Confidence
interval.
Simple random sampling with and without replacement, Estimation of population
mean and population proportion; Inverse sampling; Stratified random sampling,
Optimum allocation, Number of strata, Construction of strata boundaries, Collapsing
of strata. Determination of sample size.
Ratio, regression and product methods of estimation; Separate and combined ratio
estimators; Cluster sampling; Multi-stage sampling with equal probability of selection
of units at each stage; Two-phase sampling; Successive sampling over two occasions.
Sampling with varying probability with and without replacement, Probability
proportional to size sampling - Cumulative method and Lahiri's method of selection;
Horvitz Thompson estimator, Ordered and unordered estimators, Sampling strategies
due to Midzuno-Sen and Rao-Hartley-Cochran; Inclusion probability proportional to
size sampling.
Systematic sampling; Probability proportional to size systematic sampling.
Non-sampling errors, sources and classification, Non-response in surveys; Response
error, Interpenetrating sub-samples, Imputation methods; Warner's randomized
response technique.
Unbiased ratio and regression type estimators; Multivariate ratio and regression type
estimators.

UNIT 7: Statistical Genetics

Physical basis of inheritance, Segregation and Linkage; Analysis of segregation,
Detection and estimation of linkage for qualitative characters; Amount of information
about linkage; Combined estimation, Disturbed segregation.
Gene and genotypic frequencies; Random mating; Hardy-Weinberg law of equilibrium;
Disequilibrium due to linkage for two pairs of genes and sex-linked genes; Forces
affecting gene frequency; Equilibrium between forces in large populations,
Polymorphism; Fisher’s fundamental theorem of natural selection; Random genetic
drift; Effect of finite population size.

Polygenic system for quantitative characters; Average effect of gene; Average effect of
gene substitution; Dominance deviation; Breeding value; Epistatic interaction
deviation; Genotype- environment correlation, genotype-environment interaction and
its application; Multiple allelism in continuous variations; Maternal effects; Different
components of genetic variance and their partitioning; Effect of inbreeding on
quantitative characters; Heterosis; Inbreeding depression; Effect of inbreeding on
mean and variance of quantitative characters.

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Resemblance between relatives; Phenotypic and genetic covariance between different
relatives; Concept and estimation of genetic parameters; Heritability, Repeatability and
Genetic correlation; Response due to selection, Selection index and its applications in
plant and animal genetic improvement programmes; Correlated response to selection;
Restricted selection index.

Mating designs; North Carolina designs and their analysis; Line × Tester Analysis;
Diallel and partial diallel crosses including their construction and analysis.

Survival analysis; Phylogeny and analysis of molecular variance.

UNIT 8: Applied Regression Analysis

Simple and multiple linear regression models and their analysis; Estimation and
testing of regression parameters, Sub-hypothesis testing, Restricted estimation;
Polynomial regression: Use of orthogonal polynomials. Use of dummy variables.
Regression with ordinal data. Logistic regression. Multiple and partial correlation
coefficients;
Selection of variables, Stepwise and Stagewise regressions.
Regression diagnostics; Adequacy and validation of models. Examination of residuals -
specification error, auto-correlation, Durbin-Watson statistic, Heteroscedasticity, Multi-
collinearity. Weighted Least Squares, Outliers, Influential observations. Remedial
measures - regression under non-normal errors, transformation of data, Generalized
least squares, Model over-fitting, model under-fitting.
Parameter estimation in non-linear models.
Components of time-series. Fitting of different trend models. Auto-correlation and
Partial Auto-Correlation functions. Correlogram. Determination of cyclical variations.
Periodogram analysis. Linear Stationary models - Auto-Regressive, moving average
and mixed processes. Linear non-stationary models. Forecasting.
Simultaneous equation models. Indirect Least Squares. Pooling of cross-section and
time-series data.
Demand and Supply curves. Determination of demand curves from market data.
Engel’s curves. Poreto curves.

UNIT 9: Optimization Techniques and Soft Computing

Classical optimization techniques. Constrained optimization. Optimization and
inequality. Cauchy-Sehwarz inequality, Jensen inequality, Markov inequality.
Numerical methods of optimization. Direct Search method, Sequential Search method,
Random Search method, Simplex Search method, Gradient method and Method of
Steepest Ascent.
Linear Programming Techniques - Simplex method, Duality and sensitivity analysis.
Two-person zero-sum game and linear programming; Integer Programming. Statistical
applications.
Non-linear programming. Kuhn-Tucker conditions. Quadratic programming. Elements
of Multiple objective programming. Dynamic programming. Optimal control theory.
Soft computing tools - Artificial Neural Network, Support vector machines and
probabilistic reasoning. Genetic algorithm, decision tree, Bayes classifiers, Fuzzy
Logic. Rough Set. Hierarchical and non- hierarchical clustering algorithm.
Simulation methods for various probability models. Resampling techniques: Jackknife
and Bootstrap; Monte Carlo simulation.

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 UNIT 7: Statistical Genetics
Physical basis of inheritance, Segregation and Linkage; Analysis of segregation,
Detection and estimation of linkage for qualitative characters; Amount of information
about linkage; Combined estimation, Disturbed segregation.

Gene and genotypic frequencies; Random mating; Hardy-Weinberg law of equilibrium;

Disequilibrium due to linkage for two pairs of genes and sex-linked genes; Forces
affecting gene frequency; Equilibrium between forces in large populations,
Polymorphism; Fisher’s fundamental theorem of natural selection;

Random genetic drift; Effect of finite population size.

Polygenic system for quantitative characters; Average effect of gene; Average effect of
gene substitution; Dominance deviation; Breeding value; Epistatic interaction
deviation; Genotype- environment correlation, genotype-environment interaction and
its application; Multiple allelism in continuous variations; Maternal effects; Different
components of genetic variance and their partitioning; Effect of inbreeding on
quantitative characters; Heterosis; Inbreeding depression; Effect of inbreeding on
mean and variance of quantitative characters.

Resemblance between relatives; Phenotypic and genetic covariance between different

relatives; Concept and estimation of genetic parameters; Heritability, Repeatability and
Genetic correlation; Response due to selection, Selection index and its applications in
plant and animal genetic improvement programmes; Correlated response to selection;
Restricted selection index.

Mating designs; North Carolina designs and their analysis; Line × Tester Analysis;
Diallel and partial diallel crosses including their construction and analysis.

Survival analysis; Phylogeny and analysis of molecular variance.

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