One of the main applications of statistical smoothing techniques is nonparametric regression. For the last 15 years there has been a strong theoretical interest in the development of such techniques. Related algorithmic concepts have been a main concern in computational statistics. Smoothing techniques in regression as well as other statistical methods are increasingly applied in biosciences and economics. But they are also relevant for medical and psychological research. Introduced are new developments in scatterplot smoothing and applications in statistical modelling. The treatment of the topics is on an intermediate level avoiding too much technicalities. Computational and applied aspects are considered throughout. Of particular interest to readers is the discussion of recent local fitting techniques.

Semiparametric regression is concerned with the flexible incorporation of non-linear functional relationships in regression analyses. Any application area that benefits from regression analysis can also benefit from semiparametric regression. Assuming only a basic familiarity with ordinary parametric regression, this user-friendly book explains the techniques and benefits of semiparametric regression in a concise and modular fashion. The authors make liberal use of graphics and examples plus case studies taken from environmental, financial, and other applications. They include practical advice on implementation and pointers to relevant software. The 2003 book is suitable as a textbook for students with little background in regression as well as a reference book for statistically oriented scientists such as biostatisticians, econometricians, quantitative social scientists, epidemiologists, with a good working knowledge of regression and the desire to begin using more flexible semiparametric models. Even experts on semiparametric regression should find something new here.

Since the beginning of the seventies computer hardware is available to use programmable computers for various tasks. During the nineties the hardware has developed from the big main frames to personal workstations. Nowadays it is not only the hardware which is much more powerful, but workstations can do much more work than a main frame, compared to the seventies. In parallel we find a specialization in the software. Languages like COBOL for business orientated programming or Fortran for scientific computing only marked the beginning. The introduction of personal computers in the eighties gave new impulses for even further development, already at the beginning of the seven ties some special languages like SAS or SPSS were available for statisticians. Now that personal computers have become very popular the number of pro grams start to explode. Today we will find a wide variety of programs for almost any statistical purpose (Koch & Haag 1995).

COMPSTAT symposia have been held regularly since 1974 when they started in Vienna. This tradition has made COMPSTAT a major forum for the interplay of statistics and computer sciences with contributions from many well known scientists all over the world. The scientific programme of COMPSTAT '96 covers all aspects of this interplay, from user-experiences and evaluation of software through the development and implementation of new statistical ideas. All papers presented belong to one of the three following categories: - Statistical methods (preferable new ones) that require a substantial use of computing; - Computer environments, tools and software useful in statistics; - Applications of computational statistics in areas of substantial interest (environment, health, industry, biometrics, etc.).

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.

Praise for the Second Edition: "The authors present an intuitive and easy-to-read book. ... accompanied by many examples, proposed exercises, good references, and comprehensive appendices that initiate the reader unfamiliar with MATLAB." —Adolfo Alvarez Pinto, International Statistical Review "Practitioners of EDA who use MATLAB will want a copy of this book. ... The authors have done a great service by bringing together so many EDA routines, but their main accomplishment in this dynamic text is providing the understanding and tools to do EDA. —David A Huckaby, MAA Reviews Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is an important part of the data analysis process. The methods presented in this text are ones that should be in the toolkit of every data scientist. As computational sophistication has increased and data sets have grown in size and complexity, EDA has become an even more important process for visualizing and summarizing data before making assumptions to generate hypotheses and models. Exploratory Data Analysis with MATLAB, Third Edition presents EDA methods from a computational perspective and uses numerous examples and applications to show how the methods are used in practice. The authors use MATLAB code, pseudo-code, and algorithm descriptions to illustrate the concepts. The MATLAB code for examples, data sets, and the EDA Toolbox are available for download on the book’s website. New to the Third Edition Random projections and estimating local intrinsic dimensionality Deep learning autoencoders and stochastic neighbor embedding Minimum spanning tree and additional cluster validity indices Kernel density estimation Plots for visualizing data distributions, such as beanplots and violin plots A chapter on visualizing categorical data

This volume contains the proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Model-Oriented Design and Analysis. It offers leading and pioneering work on optimal experimental designs, both from a mathematical/statistical point of view and with regard to real applications. Scientists from all over the world have contributed to this volume. Primary topics are designs for nonlinear models and applications to experimental medicine.

A group of scholars converging on a common and socially relevant economic theme of research, that of households' welfare and poverty, met several times in the last two years to discuss the research progress and the opportunity to bring to gether for publication the research so far accomplished. They shared a research project supported by a grant from the former Italian Ministero dell'Universita e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica (MURST) now Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Universita e della Ricerca (MIUR): The Equiva lence Scales in the Measurement of Households' Welfare: Statistical, Economic and Demographic Analysis. The decisive meeting, an international seminar on the topics, was hosted by the University of Florence, siege of the national coordinator of this project. When one think of Florence, it is inevitable to think of the unfolding of Ren aissance, and reciprocally. th To the eyes of a traveller who had arrived to Florence in the 15 century, the city would have appeared as a sort of El Dorado, similarly to what would have occurred to the first conquerors of the South America's lands, so much astonishing were the richness of arts and the opulence of life. The flourishing of painting and sculpture had not equal all over the world and was reaching tops never made equal before. Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Donatello and later on Leonardo and Michelangelo, were the artistic and intellectual genius that enlightened beauty lovers princes.....

This selection of articles emerged from different works presented "The Art of Semiparametrics" conference in 2003 in Berlin. It offers a collection of individual works that together show the large spectrum of semiparametric statistics. The book combines theoretical contributions with more applied and empirical studies. Although each article represents an original contribution to its own field, all are written in a self-contained way that may be read by non-experts.