Bayesian Inference And Computation In Reliability And Survival Analysis

Bayesian analysis is one of the important tools for statistical modelling and inference. Bayesian frameworks and methods have been successfully applied to solve practical problems in reliability and survival analysis, which have a wide range of real world applications in medical and biological sciences, social and economic sciences, and engineering. In the past few decades, significant developments of Bayesian inference have been made by many researchers, and advancements in computational technology and computer performance has laid the groundwork for new opportunities in Bayesian computation for practitioners. Because these theoretical and technological developments introduce new questions and challenges, and increase the complexity of the Bayesian framework, this book brings together experts engaged in groundbreaking research on Bayesian inference and computation to discuss important issues, with emphasis on applications to reliability and survival analysis. Topics covered are timely and have the potential to influence the interacting worlds of biostatistics, engineering, medical sciences, statistics, and more. The included chapters present current methods, theories, and applications in the diverse area of biostatistical analysis. The volume as a whole serves as reference in driving quality global health research.

We all like to know how reliable and how risky certain situations are, and our increasing reliance on technology has led to the need for more precise assessments than ever before. Such precision has resulted in efforts both to sharpen the notions of risk and reliability, and to quantify them. Quantification is required for normative decision-making, especially decisions pertaining to our safety and wellbeing. Increasingly in recent years Bayesian methods have become key to such quantifications. Reliability and Risk provides a comprehensive overview of the mathematical and statistical aspects of risk and reliability analysis, from a Bayesian perspective. This book sets out to change the way in which we think about reliability and survival analysis by casting them in the broader context of decision-making. This is achieved by: Providing a broad coverage of the diverse aspects of reliability, including: multivariate failure models, dynamic reliability, event history analysis, non-parametric Bayes, competing risks, co-operative and competing systems, and signature analysis. Covering the essentials of Bayesian statistics and exchangeability, enabling readers who are unfamiliar with Bayesian inference to benefit from the book. Introducing the notion of “composite reliability”, or the collective reliability of a population of items. Discussing the relationship between notions of reliability and survival analysis and econometrics and financial risk. Reliability and Risk can most profitably be used by practitioners and research workers in reliability and survivability as a source of information, reference, and open problems. It can also form the basis of a graduate level course in reliability and risk analysis for students in statistics, biostatistics, engineering (industrial, nuclear, systems), operations research, and other mathematically oriented scientists, wherein the instructor could supplement the material with examples and problems.

Survival analysis arises in many fields of study including medicine, biology, engineering, public health, epidemiology, and economics. This book provides a comprehensive treatment of Bayesian survival analysis. It presents a balance between theory and applications, and for each class of models discussed, detailed examples and analyses from case studies are presented whenever possible. The applications are all from the health sciences, including cancer, AIDS, and the environment.

This book presents and standardizes statistical models and methods that can be directly applied to both reliability and survival analysis. These two types of analysis are widely used in many fields, including engineering, management, medicine, actuarial science, the environmental sciences, and the life sciences. Though there are a number of books on reliability analysis and a handful on survival analysis, there are virtually no books on both topics and their overlapping concepts. Offering an essential textbook, this book will benefit students, researchers, and practitioners in reliability and survival analysis, reliability engineering, biostatistics, and the biomedical sciences.

A comprehensive collection of and introduction to the major advances in Bayesian reliability analysis techniques developed during the last two decades, in textbook form. Focuses primary attention on the exponential, Weibull, normal, log normal, inverse Gaussian, and gamma failure time distributions, as well as the binomial, Pascal, and Poisson sampling models. Noninformative and natural conhugate prior distributions are emphasized, although other classes or prior distributions are also often considered. Background chapters on probability, statistics, and classical reliability analysis methods are also included.

This volume describes how to develop Bayesian thinking, modelling and computation both from philosophical, methodological and application point of view. It further describes parametric and nonparametric Bayesian methods for modelling and how to use modern computational methods to summarize inferences using simulation. The book covers wide range of topics including objective and subjective Bayesian inferences with a variety of applications in modelling categorical, survival, spatial, spatiotemporal, Epidemiological, software reliability, small area and micro array data. The book concludes with a chapter on how to teach Bayesian thoughts to nonstatisticians. Critical thinking on causal effects Objective Bayesian philosophy Nonparametric Bayesian methodology Simulation based computing techniques Bioinformatics and Biostatistics

This book presents thirty-one extensive and carefully edited chapters providing an up-to-date survey of new models and methods for reliability analysis and applications in science, engineering, and technology. The chapters contain broad coverage of the latest developments and innovative techniques in a wide range of theoretical and numerical issues in the field of statistical and probabilistic methods in reliability.