These proceedings comprise current statistical issues in analyzing data in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, as discussed at the PHYSTAT05 conference in Oxford. This is a continuation of the popular PHYSTAT series; previous meetings were held at CERN (2000), Fermilab (2000), Durham (2002) and Stanford (2003).In-depth discussions on topical issues are presented by leading statisticians and research workers in their relevant fields. Included are invited reviews and contributed research papers presenting the latest, state-of-the-art techniques./a
This book provides an inter-disciplinary introduction to the theory of random fields and its applications. Spatial models and spatial data analysis are integral parts of many scientific and engineering disciplines. Random fields provide a general theoretical framework for the development of spatial models and their applications in data analysis. The contents of the book include topics from classical statistics and random field theory (regression models, Gaussian random fields, stationarity, correlation functions) spatial statistics (variogram estimation, model inference, kriging-based prediction) and statistical physics (fractals, Ising model, simulated annealing, maximum entropy, functional integral representations, perturbation and variational methods). The book also explores links between random fields, Gaussian processes and neural networks used in machine learning. Connections with applied mathematics are highlighted by means of models based on stochastic partial differential equations. An interlude on autoregressive time series provides useful lower-dimensional analogies and a connection with the classical linear harmonic oscillator. Other chapters focus on non-Gaussian random fields and stochastic simulation methods. The book also presents results based on the author’s research on Spartan random fields that were inspired by statistical field theories originating in physics. The equivalence of the one-dimensional Spartan random field model with the classical, linear, damped harmonic oscillator driven by white noise is highlighted. Ideas with potentially significant computational gains for the processing of big spatial data are presented and discussed. The final chapter concludes with a description of the Karhunen-Loève expansion of the Spartan model. The book will appeal to engineers, physicists, and geoscientists whose research involves spatial models or spatial data analysis. Anyone with background in probability and statistics can read at least parts of the book. Some chapters will be easier to understand by readers familiar with differential equations and Fourier transforms.
Data plays a vital role in different parts of our lives. In the world of big data, and policy determined by a variety of statistical artifacts, discussions around the ethics of data gathering, manipulation and presentation are increasingly important. Ethics in Statistics aims to make a significant contribution to that debate. The processes of gathering data through sampling, summarising of the findings, and extending results to a population, need to be checked via an ethical prospective, as well as a statistical one. Statistical learning without ethics can be harmful for mankind. This edited collection brings together contributors in the field of data science, data analytics and statistics, to share their thoughts about the role of ethics in different aspects of statistical learning.
This book contains material from the lecture courses conducted at the Theoretical Advanced Study Institute (TASI, Colorado, USA) on high energy physics and cosmology in 2008. Three series of lectures are presented in parallel in the areas of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) phenomenology and experimentation; advanced theoretical topics beyond the standard model; and neutrino oscillation, astroparticle physics and cosmology. The phenomenology lectures cover a broad spectrum of standard research techniques used to interpret present-day and LHC data. The new physics lectures focus on modern speculations about physics beyond the standard model, with an emphasis on supersymmetry, grand unification theories, extra-dimensional theories, and string phenomenology, which may be tested at the LHC. The lecture series on neutrino physics, astroparticle physics and cosmology treats recent developments in neutrino oscillations, theories and searches of dark matter and dark energy, cosmic microwave background radiation, and density perturbation theory. The lectures are of pedagogical nature in presentation, and are accessible to advanced graduate students and researchers in high energy physics and cosmology.
This book investigates the mathematical analysis of biological invasions. Unlike purely qualitative treatments of ecology, it draws on mathematical theory and methods, equipping the reader with sharp tools and rigorous methodology. Subjects include invasion dynamics, species interactions, population spread, long-distance dispersal, stochastic effects, risk analysis, and optimal responses to invaders. While based on the theory of dynamical systems, including partial differential equations and integrodifference equations, the book also draws on information theory, machine learning, Monte Carlo methods, optimal control, statistics, and stochastic processes. Applications to real biological invasions are included throughout. Ultimately, the book imparts a powerful principle: that by bringing ecology and mathematics together, researchers can uncover new understanding of, and effective response strategies to, biological invasions. It is suitable for graduate students and established researchers in mathematical ecology.
Probability, Statistics and Econometrics provides a concise, yet rigorous, treatment of the field that is suitable for graduate students studying econometrics, very advanced undergraduate students, and researchers seeking to extend their knowledge of the trinity of fields that use quantitative data in economic decision-making. The book covers much of the groundwork for probability and inference before proceeding to core topics in econometrics. Authored by one of the leading econometricians in the field, it is a unique and valuable addition to the current repertoire of econometrics textbooks and reference books. - Synthesizes three substantial areas of research, ensuring success in a subject matter than can be challenging to newcomers - Focused and modern coverage that provides relevant examples from economics and finance - Contains some modern frontier material, including bootstrap and lasso methods not treated in similar-level books - Collects the necessary material for first semester Economics PhD students into a single text
"This is the fourth in a series of international conferences for the vanguard of researchers in the cross-disciplinary field of astrostatistics. Both astronomical and statistical communities now recognize the wide array of fascinating methodological issues faced by the modern astronomer. Ranging from terabyte wide-field surveys to small-N samples, from cosmology to the search for Earth-like planets, astronomical research can no longer be pursued with a small toolbox of familiar statistical methods. Over thirty distinguished scholars from both fields presented invited talks and commentaries on leading problems in astrostatistics. The methodological challenges of inferring cosmological insights from the cosmic microwave background fluctuations, the distribution of galaxies in space, gravitational lensing, and galaxy structure wre describe in detail. Time series analysis is discussed in a variety of contexts: sparse Poisson data, multiply-periodic systems, gravitational wave detection, and most dramatically in the search for extrasolar planets. Here sophisticated Bayesian model selection with MCMC computations plays a critical role. Other topics covered include image processing, analysis of mega-datasets from large surveys, and small-N problems in both astronomy and particle physics. The volume ends with cross-disciplinary overviews and software tutorials. The book will be valuable to graduate students and researchers in both astronomy and statistics who seek insights into this promising avenue of cross-disciplinary research."--Publisher's website
Decision making is a critical element in the field of medicine that can lead to life-or-death outcomes, yet it is an element fraught with complex and conflicting variables, diagnostic and therapeutic uncertainties, patient preferences and values, and costs. Together, decisions made by physicians, patients, insurers, and policymakers determine the quality of health care, quality that depends inherently on counterbalancing risks and benefits and competing objectives such as maximizing life expectancy versus optimizing quality of life or quality of care versus economic realities. Broadly speaking, concepts in medical decision making (MDM) may be divided into two major categories: prescriptive and descriptive. Work in the area of prescriptive MDM investigates how medical decisions should be done using complicated analyses and algorithms to determine cost-effectiveness measures, prediction methods, and so on. In contrast, descriptive MDM studies how decisions actually are made involving human judgment, biases, social influences, patient factors, and so on. The Encyclopedia of Medical Decision Making gives a gentle introduction to both categories, revealing how medical and healthcare decisions are actually made—and constrained—and how physician, healthcare management, and patient decision making can be improved to optimize health outcomes. Key Features Discusses very general issues that span many aspects of MDM, including bioethics; health policy and economics; disaster simulation modeling; medical informatics; the psychology of decision making; shared and team medical decision making; social, moral, and religious factors; end-of-life decision making; assessing patient preference and patient adherence; and more Incorporates both quantity and quality of life in optimizing a medical decision Considers characteristics of the decisionmaker and how those characteristics influence their decisions Presents outcome measures to judge the quality or impact of a medical decision Examines some of the more commonly encountered biostatistical methods used in prescriptive decision making Provides utility assessment techniques that facilitate quantitative medical decision making Addresses the many different assumption perspectives the decision maker might choose from when trying to optimize a decision Offers mechanisms for defining MDM algorithms With comprehensive and authoritative coverage by experts in the fields of medicine, decision science and cognitive psychology, and healthcare management, this two-volume Encyclopedia is a must-have resource for any academic library.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women all over the world. Since the cause of the disease remains unknown, early detection and diagnosis is the key for breast cancer control, and it can increase the success of treatment, save lives and reduce cost. Ultrasound imaging is one of the most frequently used diagnosis tools to detect and classify abnormalities of the breast.
This second open access volume of the handbook series deals with detectors, large experimental facilities and data handling, both for accelerator and non-accelerator based experiments. It also covers applications in medicine and life sciences. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the "Particle Physics Reference Library" provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A, B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access
