a parameter is a measurable characteristic of a sample.
Other differences have to do with nomenclature, notation, and computations. For example, A a measurable characteristic of a population, such as a mean or standard deviation, is called a parameter; but a measurable characteristic of a sample is called a statistic. We will see in future lessons that the mean of a population is denoted by the symbol Î¼; but the mean of a sample is denoted by the symbol x.