Discrete Probability Models And Methods

The emphasis in this book is placed on general models (Markov chains, random fields, random graphs), universal methods (the probabilistic method, the coupling method, the Stein-Chen method, martingale methods, the method of types) and versatile tools (Chernoff's bound, Hoeffding's inequality, Holley's inequality) whose domain of application extends far beyond the present text. Although the examples treated in the book relate to the possible applications, in the communication and computing sciences, in operations research and in physics, this book is in the first instance concerned with theory. The level of the book is that of a beginning graduate course. It is self-contained, the prerequisites consisting merely of basic calculus (series) and basic linear algebra (matrices). The reader is not assumed to be trained in probability since the first chapters give in considerable detail the background necessary to understand the rest of the book.

This book describes the new generation of discrete choice methods, focusing on the many advances that are made possible by simulation. Researchers use these statistical methods to examine the choices that consumers, households, firms, and other agents make. Each of the major models is covered: logit, generalized extreme value, or GEV (including nested and cross-nested logits), probit, and mixed logit, plus a variety of specifications that build on these basics. Simulation-assisted estimation procedures are investigated and compared, including maximum stimulated likelihood, method of simulated moments, and method of simulated scores. Procedures for drawing from densities are described, including variance reduction techniques such as anithetics and Halton draws. Recent advances in Bayesian procedures are explored, including the use of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and its variant Gibbs sampling. The second edition adds chapters on endogeneity and expectation-maximization (EM) algorithms. No other book incorporates all these fields, which have arisen in the past 25 years. The procedures are applicable in many fields, including energy, transportation, environmental studies, health, labor, and marketing.

INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY Discover practical models and real-world applications of multivariate models useful in engineering, business, and related disciplines In Introduction to Probability: Multivariate Models and Applications, a team of distinguished researchers delivers a comprehensive exploration of the concepts, methods, and results in multivariate distributions and models. Intended for use in a second course in probability, the material is largely self-contained, with some knowledge of basic probability theory and univariate distributions as the only prerequisite. This textbook is intended as the sequel to Introduction to Probability: Models and Applications. Each chapter begins with a brief historical account of some of the pioneers in probability who made significant contributions to the field. It goes on to describe and explain a critical concept or method in multivariate models and closes with two collections of exercises designed to test basic and advanced understanding of the theory. A wide range of topics are covered, including joint distributions for two or more random variables, independence of two or more variables, transformations of variables, covariance and correlation, a presentation of the most important multivariate distributions, generating functions and limit theorems. This important text: Includes classroom-tested problems and solutions to probability exercises Highlights real-world exercises designed to make clear the concepts presented Uses Mathematica software to illustrate the text’s computer exercises Features applications representing worldwide situations and processes Offers two types of self-assessment exercises at the end of each chapter, so that students may review the material in that chapter and monitor their progress Perfect for students majoring in statistics, engineering, business, psychology, operations research and mathematics taking a second course in probability, Introduction to Probability: Multivariate Models and Applications is also an indispensable resource for anyone who is required to use multivariate distributions to model the uncertainty associated with random phenomena.

Introduction to Probability Models, Tenth Edition, provides an introduction to elementary probability theory and stochastic processes. There are two approaches to the study of probability theory. One is heuristic and nonrigorous, and attempts to develop in students an intuitive feel for the subject that enables him or her to think probabilistically. The other approach attempts a rigorous development of probability by using the tools of measure theory. The first approach is employed in this text. The book begins by introducing basic concepts of probability theory, such as the random variable, conditional probability, and conditional expectation. This is followed by discussions of stochastic processes, including Markov chains and Poison processes. The remaining chapters cover queuing, reliability theory, Brownian motion, and simulation. Many examples are worked out throughout the text, along with exercises to be solved by students. This book will be particularly useful to those interested in learning how probability theory can be applied to the study of phenomena in fields such as engineering, computer science, management science, the physical and social sciences, and operations research. Ideally, this text would be used in a one-year course in probability models, or a one-semester course in introductory probability theory or a course in elementary stochastic processes. New to this Edition: 65% new chapter material including coverage of finite capacity queues, insurance risk models and Markov chains Contains compulsory material for new Exam 3 of the Society of Actuaries containing several sections in the new exams Updated data, and a list of commonly used notations and equations, a robust ancillary package, including a ISM, SSM, and test bank Includes SPSS PASW Modeler and SAS JMP software packages which are widely used in the field Hallmark features: Superior writing style Excellent exercises and examples covering the wide breadth of coverage of probability topics Real-world applications in engineering, science, business and economics

Probability and Bayesian Modeling is an introduction to probability and Bayesian thinking for undergraduate students with a calculus background. The first part of the book provides a broad view of probability including foundations, conditional probability, discrete and continuous distributions, and joint distributions. Statistical inference is presented completely from a Bayesian perspective. The text introduces inference and prediction for a single proportion and a single mean from Normal sampling. After fundamentals of Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms are introduced, Bayesian inference is described for hierarchical and regression models including logistic regression. The book presents several case studies motivated by some historical Bayesian studies and the authors’ research. This text reflects modern Bayesian statistical practice. Simulation is introduced in all the probability chapters and extensively used in the Bayesian material to simulate from the posterior and predictive distributions. One chapter describes the basic tenets of Metropolis and Gibbs sampling algorithms; however several chapters introduce the fundamentals of Bayesian inference for conjugate priors to deepen understanding. Strategies for constructing prior distributions are described in situations when one has substantial prior information and for cases where one has weak prior knowledge. One chapter introduces hierarchical Bayesian modeling as a practical way of combining data from different groups. There is an extensive discussion of Bayesian regression models including the construction of informative priors, inference about functions of the parameters of interest, prediction, and model selection. The text uses JAGS (Just Another Gibbs Sampler) as a general-purpose computational method for simulating from posterior distributions for a variety of Bayesian models. An R package ProbBayes is available containing all of the book datasets and special functions for illustrating concepts from the book. A complete solutions manual is available for instructors who adopt the book in the Additional Resources section.

Written by renowned experts in the field, this reissue of a textbook has as its unifying theme the role that probability models have had, and continue to have, in scientific and practical applications. It includes many examples, with actual data, of real-world use of probability models, while expositing the mathematical theory of probability at an introductory calculus-based level. Detailed descriptions of the properties and applications of probability models that have successfully modeled real phenomena are given, as well as an explanation of methods for testing goodness of fit of these models. Readers will receive a firm foundation in techniques for deriving distributions of various summaries of data that will prepare them for subsequent studies of statistics, as well as a solid grounding in concepts such as that of conditional probability that will prepare them for more advanced courses in stochastic processes.

Certainty exists only in idealized models. Viewed as the quantification of uncertainties, probabilitry and random processes play a significant role in modern engineering, particularly in areas such as structural dynamics. Unlike this book, however, few texts develop applied probability in the practical manner appropriate for engineers. Probability Models in Engineering and Science provides a comprehensive, self-contained introduction to applied probabilistic modeling. The first four chapters present basic concepts in probability and random variables, and while doing so, develop methods for static problems. The remaining chapters address dynamic problems, where time is a critical parameter in the randomness. Highlights of the presentation include numerous examples and illustrations and an engaging, human connection to the subject, achieved through short biographies of some of the key people in the field. End-of-chapter problems help solidify understanding and footnotes to the literature expand the discussions and introduce relevant journals and texts. This book builds the background today's engineers need to deal explicitly with the scatter observed in experimental data and with intricate dynamic behavior. Designed for undergraduate and graduate coursework as well as self-study, the text's coverage of theory, approximation methods, and numerical methods make it equally valuable to practitioners.