Final answer:
The null hypothesis (\H_0) is that there is no significant difference between the mean of two populations, while the alternative hypothesis (\H_a) is that there is a significant difference between the mean of two populations.
Explanation:
In statistics, hypothesis testing is a vital tool to determine the validity of a claim or assumption about a population. In this problem, we are given two populations and we want to test if there is a significant difference between their means. The first step in hypothesis testing is to define the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis, denoted by \H_0, represents the status quo and states that there is no significant difference between the mean of the two populations. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis, denoted by \H_a, states that there is a significant difference between the mean of the two populations.
To understand this concept better, let us consider a specific example. Suppose we want to test the effectiveness of a new medication for a certain disease. We have two groups of patients, one receiving the new medication and the other receiving a placebo. Our null hypothesis would be that there is no significant difference in the average recovery time between the two groups (\mu_1 = \mu_2), while the alternative hypothesis would be that there is a significant difference in the average recovery time between the two groups (\mu_1 \\eq \mu_2).
In order to test these hypotheses, we would collect data from both groups and calculate their means. We would then use statistical tests such as t-test or ANOVA to determine if there is a significant difference between the means. Based on the results of the test, we would either reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis. If we reject the null hypothesis, it means that there is enough evidence to support the alternative hypothesis and we can conclude that there is a significant difference between the means of the two populations.
In conclusion, the null and alternative hypotheses play a crucial role in hypothesis testing and help us make informed decisions based on the data. The null hypothesis represents the status quo and the alternative hypothesis challenges it. By defining these hypotheses, we can determine the significance of our findings and make accurate conclusions about the population.