Focussing on applications, this book covers a very broad range, including simple and complex univariate and multivariate density estimation, nonparametric regression estimation, categorical data smoothing, and applications of smoothing to other areas of statistics. It will thus be of particular interest to data analysts, as arguments generally proceed from actual data rather than statistical theory, while the "Background Material" sections will interest statisticians studying the field. Over 750 references allow researchers to find the original sources for more details, and the "Computational Issues" sections provide sources for statistical software that use the methods discussed. Each chapter includes exercises with a heavily computational focus based upon the data sets used in the book, making it equally suitable as a textbook for a course in smoothing.

The author has attempted to present a book that provides a non-technical introduction into the area of non-parametric density and regression function estimation. The application of these methods is discussed in terms of the S computing environment. Smoothing in high dimensions faces the problem of data sparseness. A principal feature of smoothing, the averaging of data points in a prescribed neighborhood, is not really practicable in dimensions greater than three if we have just one hundred data points. Additive models provide a way out of this dilemma; but, for their interactiveness and recursiveness, they require highly effective algorithms. For this purpose, the method of WARPing (Weighted Averaging using Rounded Points) is described in great detail.

The book describes the use of smoothing techniques in statistics, including both density estimation and nonparametric regression. Considerable advances in research in this area have been made in recent years. The aim of this text is to describe a variety of ways in which these methods can be applied to practical problems in statistics. The role of smoothing techniques in exploring data graphically is emphasised, but the use of nonparametric curves in drawing conclusions from data, as an extension of more standard parametric models, is also a major focus of the book. Examples are drawn from a wide range of applications. The book is intended for those who seek an introduction to the area, with an emphasis on applications rather than on detailed theory. It is therefore expected that the book will benefit those attending courses at an advanced undergraduate, or postgraduate, level, as well as researchers, both from statistics and from other disciplines, who wish to learn about and apply these techniques in practical data analysis. The text makes extensive reference to S-Plus, as a computing environment in which examples can be explored. S-Plus functions and example scripts are provided to implement many of the techniques described. These parts are, however, clearly separate from the main body of text, and can therefore easily be skipped by readers not interested in S-Plus.

Introduction to Data Science: Data Analysis and Prediction Algorithms with R introduces concepts and skills that can help you tackle real-world data analysis challenges. It covers concepts from probability, statistical inference, linear regression, and machine learning. It also helps you develop skills such as R programming, data wrangling, data visualization, predictive algorithm building, file organization with UNIX/Linux shell, version control with Git and GitHub, and reproducible document preparation. This book is a textbook for a first course in data science. No previous knowledge of R is necessary, although some experience with programming may be helpful. The book is divided into six parts: R, data visualization, statistics with R, data wrangling, machine learning, and productivity tools. Each part has several chapters meant to be presented as one lecture. The author uses motivating case studies that realistically mimic a data scientist’s experience. He starts by asking specific questions and answers these through data analysis so concepts are learned as a means to answering the questions. Examples of the case studies included are: US murder rates by state, self-reported student heights, trends in world health and economics, the impact of vaccines on infectious disease rates, the financial crisis of 2007-2008, election forecasting, building a baseball team, image processing of hand-written digits, and movie recommendation systems. The statistical concepts used to answer the case study questions are only briefly introduced, so complementing with a probability and statistics textbook is highly recommended for in-depth understanding of these concepts. If you read and understand the chapters and complete the exercises, you will be prepared to learn the more advanced concepts and skills needed to become an expert.

Focussing on applications, this book covers a very broad range, including simple and complex univariate and multivariate density estimation, nonparametric regression estimation, categorical data smoothing, and applications of smoothing to other areas of statistics. It will thus be of particular interest to data analysts, as arguments generally proceed from actual data rather than statistical theory, while the "Background Material" sections will interest statisticians studying the field. Over 750 references allow researchers to find the original sources for more details, and the "Computational Issues" sections provide sources for statistical software that use the methods discussed. Each chapter includes exercises with a heavily computational focus based upon the data sets used in the book, making it equally suitable as a textbook for a course in smoothing.

An applied treatment of the key methods and state-of-the-art tools for visualizing and understanding statistical data Smoothing of Multivariate Data provides an illustrative and hands-on approach to the multivariate aspects of density estimation, emphasizing the use of visualization tools. Rather than outlining the theoretical concepts of classification and regression, this book focuses on the procedures for estimating a multivariate distribution via smoothing. The author first provides an introduction to various visualization tools that can be used to construct representations of multivariate functions, sets, data, and scales of multivariate density estimates. Next, readers are presented with an extensive review of the basic mathematical tools that are needed to asymptotically analyze the behavior of multivariate density estimators, with coverage of density classes, lower bounds, empirical processes, and manipulation of density estimates. The book concludes with an extensive toolbox of multivariate density estimators, including anisotropic kernel estimators, minimization estimators, multivariate adaptive histograms, and wavelet estimators. A completely interactive experience is encouraged, as all examples and figurescan be easily replicated using the R software package, and every chapter concludes with numerous exercises that allow readers to test their understanding of the presented techniques. The R software is freely available on the book's related Web site along with "Code" sections for each chapter that provide short instructions for working in the R environment. Combining mathematical analysis with practical implementations, Smoothing of Multivariate Data is an excellent book for courses in multivariate analysis, data analysis, and nonparametric statistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduatelevels. It also serves as a valuable reference for practitioners and researchers in the fields of statistics, computer science, economics, and engineering.

A comprehensive introduction to a wide variety of univariate and multivariate smoothing techniques for regression Smoothing and Regression: Approaches, Computation, and Application bridges the many gaps that exist among competing univariate and multivariate smoothing techniques. It introduces, describes, and in some cases compares a large number of the latest and most advanced techniques for regression modeling. Unlike many other volumes on this topic, which are highly technical and specialized, this book discusses all methods in light of both computational efficiency and their applicability for real data analysis. Using examples of applications from the biosciences, environmental sciences, engineering, and economics, as well as medical research and marketing, this volume addresses the theory, computation, and application of each approach. A number of the techniques discussed, such as smoothing under shape restrictions or of dependent data, are presented for the first time in book form. Special features of this book include: * Comprehensive coverage of smoothing and regression with software hints and applications from a wide variety of disciplines * A unified, easy-to-follow format * Contributions from more than 25 leading researchers from around the world * More than 150 illustrations also covering new graphical techniques important for exploratory data analysis and visualization of high-dimensional problems * Extensive end-of-chapter references For professionals and aspiring professionals in statistics, applied mathematics, computer science, and econometrics, as well as for researchers in the applied and social sciences, Smoothing and Regression is a unique and important new resource destined to become one the most frequently consulted references in the field.

Exponential smoothing methods have been around since the 1950s, and are still the most popular forecasting methods used in business and industry. However, a modeling framework incorporating stochastic models, likelihood calculation, prediction intervals and procedures for model selection, was not developed until recently. This book brings together all of the important new results on the state space framework for exponential smoothing. It will be of interest to people wanting to apply the methods in their own area of interest as well as for researchers wanting to take the ideas in new directions. Part 1 provides an introduction to exponential smoothing and the underlying models. The essential details are given in Part 2, which also provide links to the most important papers in the literature. More advanced topics are covered in Part 3, including the mathematical properties of the models and extensions of the models for specific problems. Applications to particular domains are discussed in Part 4.

Nonparametric function estimation with stochastic data, otherwise known as smoothing, has been studied by several generations of statisticians. Assisted by the ample computing power in today's servers, desktops, and laptops, smoothing methods have been finding their ways into everyday data analysis by practitioners. While scores of methods have proved successful for univariate smoothing, ones practical in multivariate settings number far less. Smoothing spline ANOVA models are a versatile family of smoothing methods derived through roughness penalties, that are suitable for both univariate and multivariate problems. In this book, the author presents a treatise on penalty smoothing under a unified framework. Methods are developed for (i) regression with Gaussian and non-Gaussian responses as well as with censored lifetime data; (ii) density and conditional density estimation under a variety of sampling schemes; and (iii) hazard rate estimation with censored life time data and covariates. The unifying themes are the general penalized likelihood method and the construction of multivariate models with built-in ANOVA decompositions. Extensive discussions are devoted to model construction, smoothing parameter selection, computation, and asymptotic convergence. Most of the computational and data analytical tools discussed in the book are implemented in R, an open-source platform for statistical computing and graphics. Suites of functions are embodied in the R package gss, and are illustrated throughout the book using simulated and real data examples. This monograph will be useful as a reference work for researchers in theoretical and applied statistics as well as for those in other related disciplines. It can also be used as a text for graduate level courses on the subject. Most of the materials are accessible to a second year graduate student with a good training in calculus and linear algebra and working knowledge in basic statistical inferences such as linear models and maximum likelihood estimates.

Comprehensive theoretical overview of kernel smoothing methods with motivating examples Kernel smoothing is a flexible nonparametric curve estimation method that is applicable when parametric descriptions of the data are not sufficiently adequate. This book explores theory and methods of kernel smoothing in a variety of contexts, considering independent and correlated data e.g. with short-memory and long-memory correlations, as well as non-Gaussian data that are transformations of latent Gaussian processes. These types of data occur in many fields of research, e.g. the natural and the environmental sciences, and others. Nonparametric density estimation, nonparametric and semiparametric regression, trend and surface estimation in particular for time series and spatial data and other topics such as rapid change points, robustness etc. are introduced alongside a study of their theoretical properties and optimality issues, such as consistency and bandwidth selection. Addressing a variety of topics, Kernel Smoothing: Principles, Methods and Applications offers a user-friendly presentation of the mathematical content so that the reader can directly implement the formulas using any appropriate software. The overall aim of the book is to describe the methods and their theoretical backgrounds, while maintaining an analytically simple approach and including motivating examples—making it extremely useful in many sciences such as geophysics, climate research, forestry, ecology, and other natural and life sciences, as well as in finance, sociology, and engineering. A simple and analytical description of kernel smoothing methods in various contexts Presents the basics as well as new developments Includes simulated and real data examples Kernel Smoothing: Principles, Methods and Applications is a textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate students in statistics, as well as a reference book for applied statisticians and advanced researchers.