Define alternate hypothesis in hypothesis testing.

The alternate hypothesis is a statement that contradicts the null hypothesis in hypothesis testing.

In hypothesis testing, the null hypothesis is a statement that assumes there is no significant difference between two groups or variables being compared. The alternate hypothesis, on the other hand, is a statement that assumes there is a significant difference between the two groups or variables being compared.

For example, if we are testing whether a new drug is effective in treating a certain disease, the null hypothesis would be that the drug has no effect, while the alternate hypothesis would be that the drug does have an effect.

The alternate hypothesis is usually denoted by H1 or Ha, while the null hypothesis is denoted by H0. In order to test the alternate hypothesis, we use statistical methods to determine whether the observed data supports or rejects the null hypothesis.

If the observed data provides strong evidence against the null hypothesis, we reject it in favour of the alternate hypothesis. However, if the observed data does not provide enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis, we fail to reject it.

In conclusion, the alternate hypothesis is a statement that contradicts the null hypothesis and assumes there is a significant difference between the two groups or variables being compared. It is an important component of hypothesis testing and helps us determine whether the observed data supports or rejects the null hypothesis.