Modes of Parametric Statistical Inference

A fascinating investigation into the foundations of statisticalinference This publication examines the distinct philosophical foundations ofdifferent statistical modes of parametric inference. Unlike manyother texts that focus on methodology and applications, this bookfocuses on a rather unique combination of theoretical andfoundational aspects that underlie the field of statisticalinference. Readers gain a deeper understanding of the evolution andunderlying logic of each mode as well as each mode's strengths andweaknesses. The book begins with fascinating highlights from the history ofstatistical inference. Readers are given historical examples ofstatistical reasoning used to address practical problems that arosethroughout the centuries. Next, the book goes on to scrutinize fourmajor modes of statistical inference: * Frequentist * Likelihood * Fiducial * Bayesian The author provides readers with specific examples andcounterexamples of situations and datasets where the modes yieldboth similar and dissimilar results, including a violation of thelikelihood principle in which Bayesian and likelihood methodsdiffer from frequentist methods. Each example is followed by adetailed discussion of why the results may have varied from onemode to another, helping the reader to gain a greater understandingof each mode and how it works. Moreover, the author providesconsiderable mathematical detail on certain points to highlight keyaspects of theoretical development. The author's writing style and use of examples make the text clearand engaging. This book is fundamental reading for graduate-levelstudents in statistics as well as anyone with an interest in thefoundations of statistics and the principles underlying statisticalinference, including students in mathematics and the philosophy ofscience. Readers with a background in theoretical statistics willfind the text both accessible and absorbing.