The field of applied probability has changed profoundly in the past twenty years. The development of computational methods has greatly contributed to a better understanding of the theory. A First Course in Stochastic Models provides a self-contained introduction to the theory and applications of stochastic models. Emphasis is placed on establishing the theoretical foundations of the subject, thereby providing a framework in which the applications can be understood. Without this solid basis in theory no applications can be solved. Provides an introduction to the use of stochastic models through an integrated presentation of theory, algorithms and applications. Incorporates recent developments in computational probability. Includes a wide range of examples that illustrate the models and make the methods of solution clear. Features an abundance of motivating exercises that help the student learn how to apply the theory. Accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of probability. A First Course in Stochastic Models is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students from computer science, engineering, statistics, operations resear ch, and any other discipline where stochastic modelling takes place. It stands out amongst other textbooks on the subject because of its integrated presentation of theory, algorithms and applications.
The term Financial Derivative is a very broad term which has come to mean any financial transaction whose value depends on the underlying value of the asset concerned. Sophisticated statistical modelling of derivatives enables practitioners in the banking industry to reduce financial risk and ultimately increase profits made from these transactions. The book originally published in March 2000 to widespread acclaim. This revised edition has been updated with minor corrections and new references, and now includes a chapter of exercises and solutions, enabling use as a course text. Comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of financial derivatives. Discusses and elaborates on the theory of interest rate derivatives, an area of increasing interest. Divided into two self-contained parts ? the first concentrating on the theory of stochastic calculus, and the second describes in detail the pricing of a number of different derivatives in practice. Written by well respected academics with experience in the banking industry. A valuable text for practitioners in research departments of all banking and finance sectors. Academic researchers and graduate students working in mathematical finance.
Human health risk assessment involves the measuring of risk of exposure to disease, with a view to improving disease prevention. Mathematical, biological, statistical, and computational methods play a key role in exposure assessment, hazard assessment and identification, and dose-response modelling. Recent Advances in Quantitative Methods in Cancer and Human Health Risk Assessment is a comprehensive text that accounts for the wealth of new biological data as well as new biological, toxicological, and medical approaches adopted in risk assessment. It provides an authoritative compendium of state-of-the-art methods proposed and used, featuring contributions from eminent authors with varied experience from academia, government, and industry. Provides a comprehensive summary of currently available quantitative methods for risk assessment of both cancer and non-cancer problems. Describes the applications and the limitations of current mathematical modelling and statistical analysis methods (classical and Bayesian). Includes an extensive introduction and discussion to each chapter. Features detailed studies of risk assessments using biologically-based modelling approaches. Discusses the varying computational aspects of the methods proposed. Provides a global perspective on human health risk assessment by featuring case studies from a wide range of countries. Features an extensive bibliography with links to relevant background information within each chapter. Recent Advances in Quantitative Methods in Cancer and Human Health Risk Assessment will appeal to researchers and practitioners in public health & epidemiology, and postgraduate students alike. It will also be of interest to professionals working in risk assessment agencies.
In this fully revised and expanded edition of Smooth Tests of Goodness of Fit, the latest powerful techniques for assessing statistical and probabilistic models using this proven class of procedures are presented in a practical and easily accessible manner. Emphasis is placed on modern developments such as data-driven tests, diagnostic properties, and model selection techniques. Applicable to most statistical distributions, the methodology described in this book is optimal for deriving tests of fit for new distributions and complex probabilistic models, and is a standard against which new procedures should be compared. New features of the second edition include: Expansion of the methodology to cover virtually any statistical distribution, including exponential families Discussion and application of data-driven smooth tests Techniques for the selection of the best model for the data, with a guide to acceptable alternatives Numerous new, revised, and expanded examples, generated using R code Smooth Tests of Goodness of Fit is an invaluable resource for all methodological researchers as well as graduate students undertaking goodness-of-fit, statistical, and probabilistic model assessment courses. Practitioners wishing to make an informed choice of goodness-of-fit test will also find this book an indispensible guide. Reviews of the first edition: «This book gives a very readable account of the smooth tests of goodness of fit. The book can be read by scientists having only an introductory knowledge of statistics. It contains a fairly extensive list of references; research will find it helpful for the further development of smooth tests.» –T.K. Chandra, Zentralblatt für Mathematik und ihre Grenzgebiete, Band 73, 1/92' «An excellent job of showing how smooth tests (a class of goodness of fit tests) are generally and easily applicable in assessing the validity of models involving statistical distributions....Highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate libraries.» –Choice «The book can be read by scientists having only an introductory knowledge of statistics. It contains a fairly extensive list of references; researchers will find it helpful for the further development of smooth tests.»–Mathematical Reviews «Very rich in examples . . . Should find its way to the desks of many statisticians.» –Technometrics
The increasing cost of research means that scientists are in more urgent need of optimal design theory to increase the efficiency of parameter estimators and the statistical power of their tests. The objectives of a good design are to provide interpretable and accurate inference at minimal costs. Optimal design theory can help to identify a design with maximum power and maximum information for a statistical model and, at the same time, enable researchers to check on the model assumptions. This Book: Introduces optimal experimental design in an accessible format. Provides guidelines for practitioners to increase the efficiency of their designs, and demonstrates how optimal designs can reduce a study’s costs. Discusses the merits of optimal designs and compares them with commonly used designs. Takes the reader from simple linear regression models to advanced designs for multiple linear regression and nonlinear models in a systematic manner. Illustrates design techniques with practical examples from social and biomedical research to enhance the reader’s understanding. Researchers and students studying social, behavioural and biomedical sciences will find this book useful for understanding design issues and in putting optimal design ideas to practice.
A new edition of the most comprehensive overview of statistical methods for environmental monitoring applications Thoroughly updated to provide current research findings, Statistical Methods for Groundwater Monitoring, Second Edition continues to provide a comprehensive overview and accessible treatment of the statistical methods that are useful in the analysis of environmental data. This new edition expands focus on statistical comparison to regulatory standards that are a vital part of assessment, compliance, and corrective action monitoring in the environmental sciences. The book explores quantitative concepts useful for surface water monitoring as well as soil and air monitoring applications while also maintaining a focus on the analysis of groundwater monitoring data in order to detect environmental impacts from a variety of sources, such as industrial activity and waste disposal. The authors introduce the statistical properties of alternative approaches, such as false positive and false negative rates, that are associated with each test and the factors related to these error rates. The Second Edition also features: An introduction to Intra-laboratory Calibration Curves and random-effects regression models for non-constant measurement variability Coverage of statistical prediction limits for a gamma-distributed random variable, with a focus on estimation and testing of parameters in environmental monitoring applications A unified treatment of censored data with the computation of statistical prediction, tolerance, and control limits Expanded coverage of statistical issues related to laboratory practice, such as detection and quantitation limits An updated chapter on regulatory issues that outlines common mistakes to avoid in groundwater monitoring applications as well as an introduction to the newest regulations for both hazardous and municipal solid waste facilities Each chapter provides a general overview of a problem, followed by statistical derivation of the solution and a relevant example complete with computational details that allow readers to perform routine application of the statistical results. Relevant issues are highlighted throughout, and recommendations are also provided for specific problems based on characteristics such as number of monitoring wells, number of constituents, distributional form of measurements, and detection frequency. Statistical Methods for Groundwater Monitoring, Second Edition is an excellent supplement to courses on environmental statistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of biostatistics, engineering, and the environmental sciences who work with statistical methods in their everyday work.
There are a wide range of variables for actuaries to consider when calculating a motorist’s insurance premium, such as age, gender and type of vehicle. Further to these factors, motorists’ rates are subject to experience rating systems, including credibility mechanisms and Bonus Malus systems (BMSs). Actuarial Modelling of Claim Counts presents a comprehensive treatment of the various experience rating systems and their relationships with risk classification. The authors summarize the most recent developments in the field, presenting ratemaking systems, whilst taking into account exogenous information. The text: Offers the first self-contained, practical approach to a priori and a posteriori ratemaking in motor insurance. Discusses the issues of claim frequency and claim severity, multi-event systems, and the combinations of deductibles and BMSs. Introduces recent developments in actuarial science and exploits the generalised linear model and generalised linear mixed model to achieve risk classification. Presents credibility mechanisms as refinements of commercial BMSs. Provides practical applications with real data sets processed with SAS software. Actuarial Modelling of Claim Counts is essential reading for students in actuarial science, as well as practicing and academic actuaries. It is also ideally suited for professionals involved in the insurance industry, applied mathematicians, quantitative economists, financial engineers and statisticians.
In recent years the significance of Gaussian processes to communication networks has grown considerably. The inherent flexibility of the Gaussian traffic model enables the analysis, in a single mathematical framework, of systems with both long-range and short-range dependent input streams. Large Deviations for Gaussian Queues demonstrates how the Gaussian traffic model arises naturally, and how the analysis of the corresponding queuing model can be performed. The text provides a general introduction to Gaussian queues, and surveys recent research into the modelling of communications networks. Coverage includes: Discussion of the theoretical concepts and practical aspects related to Gaussian traffic models. Analysis of recent research asymptotic results for Gaussian queues, both in the large-buffer and many-sources regime. An emphasis on rare-event analysis, relying on a variety of asymptotic techniques. Examination of single-node FIFO queuing systems, as well as queues operating under more complex scheduling disciplines, and queuing networks. A set of illustrative examples that directly relate to important practical problems in communication networking. A large collection of instructive exercises and accompanying solutions. Large Deviations for Gaussian Queues assumes minimal prior knowledge. It is ideally suited for postgraduate students in applied probability, operations research, computer science and electrical engineering. The book’s self-contained style makes it perfect for practitioners in the communications networking industry and for researchers in related areas.
A valuable guide to understanding the problem of quantifying uncertainty in dose response relations for toxic substances In today's scientific research, there exists the need to address the topic of uncertainty as it pertains to dose response modeling. Uncertainty Modeling in Dose Response is the first book of its kind to implement and compare different methods for quantifying the uncertainty in the probability of response, as a function of dose. This volume gathers leading researchers in the field to properly address the issue while communicating concepts from diverse viewpoints and incorporating valuable insights. The result is a collection that reveals the properties, strengths, and weaknesses that exist in the various approaches to bench test problems. This book works with four bench test problems that were taken from real bioassay data for hazardous substances currently under study by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The use of actual data provides readers with information that is relevant and representative of the current work being done in the field. Leading contributors from the toxicology and risk assessment communities have applied their methods to quantify model uncertainty in dose response for each case by employing various approaches, including Benchmark Dose Software methods, probabilistic inversion with isotonic regression, nonparametric Bayesian modeling, and Bayesian model averaging. Each chapter is reviewed and critiqued from three professional points of view: risk analyst/regulator, statistician/mathematician, and toxicologist/epidemiologist. In addition, all methodologies are worked out in detail, allowing readers to replicate these analyses and gain a thorough understanding of the methods. Uncertainty Modeling in Dose Response is an excellent book for courses on risk analysis and biostatistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It also serves as a valuable reference for risk assessment, toxicology, biostatistics, and environmental chemistry professionals who wish to expand their knowledge and expertise in statistical dose response modeling problems and approaches.
A timely and comprehensive treatment of random field theory with applications across diverse areas of study Level Sets and Extrema of Random Processes and Fields discusses how to understand the properties of the level sets of paths as well as how to compute the probability distribution of its extremal values, which are two general classes of problems that arise in the study of random processes and fields and in related applications. This book provides a unified and accessible approach to these two topics and their relationship to classical theory and Gaussian processes and fields, and the most modern research findings are also discussed. The authors begin with an introduction to the basic concepts of stochastic processes, including a modern review of Gaussian fields and their classical inequalities. Subsequent chapters are devoted to Rice formulas, regularity properties, and recent results on the tails of the distribution of the maximum. Finally, applications of random fields to various areas of mathematics are provided, specifically to systems of random equations and condition numbers of random matrices. Throughout the book, applications are illustrated from various areas of study such as statistics, genomics, and oceanography while other results are relevant to econometrics, engineering, and mathematical physics. The presented material is reinforced by end-of-chapter exercises that range in varying degrees of difficulty. Most fundamental topics are addressed in the book, and an extensive, up-to-date bibliography directs readers to existing literature for further study. Level Sets and Extrema of Random Processes and Fields is an excellent book for courses on probability theory, spatial statistics, Gaussian fields, and probabilistic methods in real computation at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable reference for professionals in mathematics and applied fields such as statistics, engineering, econometrics, mathematical physics, and biology.