This publication is an unrivalled exposition of a theory of particular interest to students both of epistemology and the philosophy of science.

Two central unifying components of statistics are the likelihood function and the exponential family. These are here brought together for the first time as the central themes of a book on statistical inference, appropriate as an advanced undergraduate or graduate text in mathematical statistics.

Minimum-variance unbiased estimation; The method of least squares; The method of maximum likelihood; Confidence sets; Hypothesis testing; The likelihood-ratio test and alternative 'large-sample' equivalents of it 108; Sequential tests; Non-parametric methods; The bayesian approach; An introduction to decision theory.

Its main objective is to examine the application and relevance of Bayes' theorem to problems that arise in scientific investigation in which inferences must be made regarding parameter values about which little is known a priori. Begins with a discussion of some important general aspects of the Bayesian approach such as the choice of prior distribution, particularly noninformative prior distribution, the problem of nuisance parameters and the role of sufficient statistics, followed by many standard problems concerned with the comparison of location and scale parameters. The main thrust is an investigation of questions with appropriate analysis of mathematical results which are illustrated with numerical examples, providing evidence of the value of the Bayesian approach.

A major textbook for students taking introductory courses in probability theory and statistical inference.

Drawing upon the explosion of research in the field, a diverse group of scholars surveys strategies for solving ecological inference problems, the process of trying to infer individual behavior from aggregate data. The uncertainties and information lost in aggregation make ecological inference one of the most difficult areas of statistical inference, but these inferences are required in many academic fields, as well as by legislatures and the Courts in redistricting, marketing research by business, and policy analysis by governments. This wide-ranging collection of essays, first published in 2004, offers many important contributions to the study of ecological inference.

Concise account of main approaches; first textbook to synthesize modern computation with basic theory.

The Likelihood plays a key role in both introducing general notions of statistical theory, and in developing specific methods. This book introduces likelihood-based statistical theory and related methods from a classical viewpoint, and demonstrates how the main body of currently used statistical techniques can be generated from a few key concepts, in particular the likelihood. Focusing on those methods, which have both a solid theoretical background and practical relevance, the author gives formal justification of the methods used and provides numerical examples with real data.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Colloquium on Grammatical Inference, ICGI-96, held in Montpellier, France, in September 1996. The 25 revised full papers contained in the book together with two invited key papers by Magerman and Knuutila were carefully selected for presentation at the conference. The papers are organized in sections on algebraic methods and algorithms, natural language and pattern recognition, inference and stochastic models, incremental methods and inductive logic programming, and operational issues.

Statistical inference is the foundation on which much of statistical practice is built. This book covers the topic at a level suitable for students and professionals who need to understand these foundations.

This book is a philosophical study of the basic principles of statistical reasoning. Professor Hacking has sought to discover the simple principles which underlie modern work in mathematical statistics and to test them, both at a philosophical level and in terms of their practical consequences fort statisticians. The ideas of modern logic are used to analyse these principles, and results are presented without the use of unfamiliar symbolism. It begins with a philosophical analysis of a few central concepts and then, using an elementary system of logic, develops most of the standard statistical theory. the analysis provides answers to many disputed questions about how to test statistical hypotheses and about how to estimate quantities in the light of statistical data. One product of the analysis is a sound and consistent rationale for R. A. Fisher's controversial concept of 'fiducial probability'.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Salzburg, 2001.

This volume contains 12 papers addressed to researchers and advanced students in informal logic and related fields, such as argumentation, formal logic, and communications. Among the issues discussed are attempts to rethink the nature of argument and of inference, the role of dialectical context, and the standards for evaluating inferences, and to shed light on the interfaces between informal logic and argumentation theory, rhetoric, formal logic and cognitive psychology.

This excellent text emphasizes the inferential and decision-making aspects of statistics. The first chapter is mainly concerned with the elements of the calculus of probability. Additional chapters cover the general properties of distributions, testing hypotheses, and more.

A complete guide to powerful and practical statistical modeling using MANOVA Numerous statistical applications are time dependent. Virtually all biomedical, pharmaceutical, and industrial experiments demand repeated measurements over time. The same holds true for market research and analysis. Yet conventional methods, such as the Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (Rm ANOVA), do not always yield exact solutions, obliging practitioners to settle for asymptotic results and approximate solutions. Generalized inference in Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), mixed models, and growth curves offer exact methods of data analysis under milder conditions without deviating from the conventional philosophy of statistical inference. Generalized Inference in Repeated Measures is a concise, self-contained guide to the use of these innovative solutions, presenting them as extensions of–rather than alternatives to–classical methods of statistical evaluation. Requiring minimal prior knowledge of statistical concepts in the evaluation of linear models, the book provides exact parametric methods for each application considered, with solutions presented in terms of generalized p-values. Coverage includes: New concepts in statistical inference, with special focus on generalized p-values and generalized confidence intervals One-way and two-way ANOVA, in cases of equal and unequal variances Basic and higher-way mixed models, including testing and estimation of fixed effects and variance components Multivariate populations, including basic inference, comparison, and analysis of variance Basic, widely used repeated measures models including crossover designs and growth curves With a comprehensive set of formulas, illustrative examples, and exercises in each chapter, Generalized Inference in Repeated Measures is ideal as both a comprehensive reference for research professionals and a text for students.

The 6th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Diagrams – Diagrams 2010 – was held in Portland, USA in August 2010. Diagrams is an international and interdisciplinary conference series, which continues to present the very best work in all aspects of research on the theory and application of diagrams. Some key questions that researchers are tackling concern gaining an insight into how diagrams are used, how they are rep- sented, which types are available and when it is appropriate to use them. The use of diagrammatic notations is studied for a variety of purposes including communication, cognition, creative thought, computation and problem-solving. Clearly, this must be pursued as an interdisciplinary endeavor, and Diagrams is the only conference series that provides such a united forum for all areas that are concerned with the study of diagrams: for example, architecture, arti?cial intelligence,cartography,cognitivescience,computer science,education,graphic design, history of science, human–computer interaction, linguistics, logic, ma- ematics, philosophy, psychology, and software modelling. The articles in this volume re?ect this variety and interdisciplinarity of the ?eld.

These provocative essays by leading philosophers of science exemplify and illuminate the contemporary uncertainty and excitement in this changing field. The papers are rich in new perspectives, and their far-reaching criticisms challenge arguments long prevalent in classic philosophical problems of induction, empiricism, and realism. By turns empirical or analytic, historical or programmatic, confessional or argumentative, the authors' arguments both describe and demonstrate the fact that philosophy of science is in a ferment more intense than at any time since the heyday of logical positivism seventy years ago.

Relevant, concrete, and thorough--the essential data-based text onstatistical inference The ability to formulate abstract concepts and draw conclusionsfrom data is fundamental to mastering statistics. Aspects ofStatistical Inference equips advanced undergraduate and graduatestudents with a comprehensive grounding in statistical inference,including nonstandard topics such as robustness, randomization, andfinite population inference. A. H. Welsh goes beyond the standard texts and expertly synthesizesbroad, critical theory with concrete data and relevant topics. Thetext follows a historical framework, uses real-data sets andstatistical graphics, and treats multiparameter problems, yet isultimately about the concepts themselves. Written with clarity and depth, Aspects of Statistical Inference: * Provides a theoretical and historical grounding in statisticalinference that considers Bayesian, fiducial, likelihood, andfrequentist approaches * Illustrates methods with real-data sets on diabetic retinopathy,the pharmacological effects of caffeine, stellar velocity, andindustrial experiments * Considers multiparameter problems * Develops large sample approximations and shows how to use them * Presents the philosophy and application of robustness theory * Highlights the central role of randomization in statistics * Uses simple proofs to illuminate foundational concepts * Contains an appendix of useful facts concerning expansions,matrices, integrals, and distribution theory Here is the ultimate data-based text for comparing and presentingthe latest approaches to statistical inference.

By providing a comprehensive look at statistical inference from record-breaking data in both parametric and nonparametric settings, this book treats the area of nonparametric function estimation from such data in detail. Its main purpose is to fill this void on general inference from record values. Statisticians, mathematicians, and engineers will find the book useful as a research reference. It can also serve as part of a graduate-level statistics or mathematics course.