® Coefficient of variation (C.V.) , . × ≠ σ For series with equal means, the series with lesser standard deviation is more consistent or less scattered. Historical Note ‘Statistics’ is derived from the Latin word ‘status’ which means a political state. This suggests that statistics is as old as human civilisation.
In the year B.C., perhaps the first census was held in Egypt. In India also, about years ago, we had an efficient system of collecting administrative statistics, particularly, during the regime of Chandra Gupta Maurya ( - B.C.). The system of collecting data related to births and deaths is mentioned in Kautilya’s Arthshastra (around B.C.) A detailed account of administrative surveys conducted during Akbar’s regime is given in Ain-I-Akbari written by Abul Fazl. MATHEMATICS