def __init__(self, sample=[], population=False):
        """Statistics class initializer method."""

        # Raise an exception if the data set is empty.
        if (not sample):
            raise StatisticsException, "Empty data set!: %s" % sample

        # The data set (a list).
        self.sample = sample

        # Sample/Population variance determination flag.
        self.population = population

        self.N = len(self.sample)

        self.sum = float(sum(self.sample))

        self.min = min(self.sample)

        self.max = max(self.sample)

        self.range = self.max - self.min

        self.mean = self.sum/self.N

        # Inplace sort (list is now in ascending order).
        self.sample.sort()

        self.__getMode()

        # Instance identification attribute.
        self.identification = id(self)