A simple random sample of 8 employees is selected from a large firm. For the 8 employees, the number of days each was absent during the past month was found to be 0, 2, 4, 2, 1, 7, 3, and 2, respectively.
a. What is the point estimate for µ, the mean number of days absent for the firm’s employees? 

b. What is the point estimate for σ², the variance of the number of days absent?