This book presents a study of statistical inferences based on the kernel-type estimators of distribution functions. The inferences involve matters such as quantile estimation, nonparametric tests, and mean residual life expectation, to name just some. Convergence rates for the kernel estimators of density functions are slower than ordinary parametric estimators, which have root-n consistency. If the appropriate kernel function is used, the kernel estimators of the distribution functions recover the root-n consistency, and the inferences based on kernel distribution estimators have root-n consistency. Further, the kernel-type estimator produces smooth estimation results. The estimators based on the empirical distribution function have discrete distribution, and the normal approximation cannot be improved—that is, the validity of the Edgeworth expansion cannot be proved. If the support of the population density function is bounded, there is a boundary problem, namely the estimator does not have consistency near the boundary. The book also contains a study of the mean squared errors of the estimators and the Edgeworth expansion for quantile estimators.

In many ways, estimation by an appropriate minimum distance method is one of the most natural ideas in statistics. However, there are many different ways of constructing an appropriate distance between the data and the model: the scope of study referred to by "Minimum Distance Estimation" is literally huge. Filling a statistical resource gap, Stati

A comprehensive, up-to-date textbook on nonparametric methods for students and researchers Until now, students and researchers in nonparametric and semiparametric statistics and econometrics have had to turn to the latest journal articles to keep pace with these emerging methods of economic analysis. Nonparametric Econometrics fills a major gap by gathering together the most up-to-date theory and techniques and presenting them in a remarkably straightforward and accessible format. The empirical tests, data, and exercises included in this textbook help make it the ideal introduction for graduate students and an indispensable resource for researchers. Nonparametric and semiparametric methods have attracted a great deal of attention from statisticians in recent decades. While the majority of existing books on the subject operate from the presumption that the underlying data is strictly continuous in nature, more often than not social scientists deal with categorical data—nominal and ordinal—in applied settings. The conventional nonparametric approach to dealing with the presence of discrete variables is acknowledged to be unsatisfactory. This book is tailored to the needs of applied econometricians and social scientists. Qi Li and Jeffrey Racine emphasize nonparametric techniques suited to the rich array of data types—continuous, nominal, and ordinal—within one coherent framework. They also emphasize the properties of nonparametric estimators in the presence of potentially irrelevant variables. Nonparametric Econometrics covers all the material necessary to understand and apply nonparametric methods for real-world problems.

This festschrift includes papers authored by many collaborators, colleagues, and students of Professor Thomas P Hettmansperger, who worked in research in nonparametric statistics, rank statistics, robustness, and mixture models during a career that spanned nearly 40 years. It is a broad sample of peer-reviewed, cutting-edge research related to nonparametrics and mixture models.

Although there has been a surge of interest in density estimation in recent years, much of the published research has been concerned with purely technical matters with insufficient emphasis given to the technique's practical value. Furthermore, the subject has been rather inaccessible to the general statistician. The account presented in this book places emphasis on topics of methodological importance, in the hope that this will facilitate broader practical application of density estimation and also encourage research into relevant theoretical work. The book also provides an introduction to the subject for those with general interests in statistics. The important role of density estimation as a graphical technique is reflected by the inclusion of more than 50 graphs and figures throughout the text. Several contexts in which density estimation can be used are discussed, including the exploration and presentation of data, nonparametric discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, simulation and the bootstrap, bump hunting, projection pursuit, and the estimation of hazard rates and other quantities that depend on the density. This book includes general survey of methods available for density estimation. The Kernel method, both for univariate and multivariate data, is discussed in detail, with particular emphasis on ways of deciding how much to smooth and on computation aspects. Attention is also given to adaptive methods, which smooth to a greater degree in the tails of the distribution, and to methods based on the idea of penalized likelihood.

ENABLES READERS TO UNDERSTAND THE METHODS OF EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN TO SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCT LIFE TESTING TO IMPROVE PRODUCT RELIABILITY This book illustrates how experimental design and life testing can be used to understand product reliability in order to enable reliability improvements. The book is divided into four sections. The first section focuses on statistical distributions and methods for modeling reliability data. The second section provides an overview of design of experiments including response surface methodology and optimal designs. The third section describes regression models for reliability analysis focused on lifetime data. This section provides the methods for how data collected in a designed experiment can be properly analyzed. The final section of the book pulls together all of the prior sections with customized experiments that are uniquely suited for reliability testing. Throughout the text, there is a focus on reliability applications and methods. It addresses both optimal and robust design with censored data. To aid in reader comprehension, examples and case studies are included throughout the text to illustrate the key factors in designing experiments and emphasize how experiments involving life testing are inherently different. The book provides numerous state-of-the-art exercises and solutions to help readers better understand the real-world applications of experimental design and reliability. The authors utilize R and JMP® software throughout as appropriate, and a supplemental website contains the related data sets. Written by internationally known experts in the fields of experimental design methodology and reliability data analysis, sample topics covered in the book include: An introduction to reliability, lifetime distributions, censoring, and inference for parameter of lifetime distributions Design of experiments, optimal design, and robust design Lifetime regression, parametric regression models, and the Cox Proportional Hazard Model Design strategies for reliability achievement Accelerated testing, models for acceleration, and design of experiments for accelerated testing The text features an accessible approach to reliability for readers with various levels of technical expertise. This book is a key reference for statistical researchers, reliability engineers, quality engineers, and professionals in applied statistics and engineering. It is a comprehensive textbook for upper-undergraduate and graduate-level courses in statistics and engineering.

This work is an overview of statistical inference in stationary, discrete time stochastic processes. Results in the last fifteen years, particularly on non-Gaussian sequences and semi-parametric and non-parametric analysis have been reviewed. The first chapter gives a background of results on martingales and strong mixing sequences, which enable us to generate various classes of CAN estimators in the case of dependent observations. Topics discussed include inference in Markov chains and extension of Markov chains such as Raftery's Mixture Transition Density model and Hidden Markov chains and extensions of ARMA models with a Binomial, Poisson, Geometric, Exponential, Gamma, Weibull, Lognormal, Inverse Gaussian and Cauchy as stationary distributions. It further discusses applications of semi-parametric methods of estimation such as conditional least squares and estimating functions in stochastic models. Construction of confidence intervals based on estimating functions is discussed in some detail. Kernel based estimation of joint density and conditional expectation are also discussed. Bootstrap and other resampling procedures for dependent sequences such as Markov chains, Markov sequences, linear auto-regressive moving average sequences, block based bootstrap for stationary sequences and other block based procedures are also discussed in some detail. This work can be useful for researchers interested in knowing developments in inference in discrete time stochastic processes. It can be used as a material for advanced level research students.

An Introduction to Probability and Statistical Inference, Second Edition, guides you through probability models and statistical methods and helps you to think critically about various concepts. Written by award-winning author George Roussas, this book introduces readers with no prior knowledge in probability or statistics to a thinking process to help them obtain the best solution to a posed question or situation. It provides a plethora of examples for each topic discussed, giving the reader more experience in applying statistical methods to different situations. This text contains an enhanced number of exercises and graphical illustrations where appropriate to motivate the reader and demonstrate the applicability of probability and statistical inference in a great variety of human activities. Reorganized material is included in the statistical portion of the book to ensure continuity and enhance understanding. Each section includes relevant proofs where appropriate, followed by exercises with useful clues to their solutions. Furthermore, there are brief answers to even-numbered exercises at the back of the book and detailed solutions to all exercises are available to instructors in an Answers Manual. This text will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers and practitioners in engineering, business, social sciences or agriculture. - Content, examples, an enhanced number of exercises, and graphical illustrations where appropriate to motivate the reader and demonstrate the applicability of probability and statistical inference in a great variety of human activities - Reorganized material in the statistical portion of the book to ensure continuity and enhance understanding - A relatively rigorous, yet accessible and always within the prescribed prerequisites, mathematical discussion of probability theory and statistical inference important to students in a broad variety of disciplines - Relevant proofs where appropriate in each section, followed by exercises with useful clues to their solutions - Brief answers to even-numbered exercises at the back of the book and detailed solutions to all exercises available to instructors in an Answers Manual

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.

Softcomputing techniques play a vital role in the industry. This book presents several important papers presented by some of the well-known scientists from all over the globe. The main techniques of soft computing presented include ant-colony optimization, artificial immune systems, artificial neural networks, Bayesian models. The book includes various examples and application domains such as bioinformatics, detection of phishing attacks, and fault detection of motors.