Introducing Monte Carlo Methods With R

This book covers the main tools used in statistical simulation from a programmer’s point of view, explaining the R implementation of each simulation technique and providing the output for better understanding and comparison.

Computational techniques based on simulation have now become an essential part of the statistician's toolbox. It is thus crucial to provide statisticians with a practical understanding of those methods, and there is no better way to develop intuition and skills for simulation than to use simulation to solve statistical problems. Introducing Monte Carlo Methods with R covers the main tools used in statistical simulation from a programmer's point of view, explaining the R implementation of each simulation technique and providing the output for better understanding and comparison. While this book constitutes a comprehensive treatment of simulation methods, the theoretical justification of those methods has been considerably reduced, compared with Robert and Casella (2004). Similarly, the more exploratory and less stable solutions are not covered here. This book does not require a preliminary exposure to the R programming language or to Monte Carlo methods, nor an advanced mathematical background. While many examples are set within a Bayesian framework, advanced expertise in Bayesian statistics is not required. The book covers basic random generation algorithms, Monte Carlo techniques for integration and optimization, convergence diagnoses, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, including Metropolis {Hastings and Gibbs algorithms, and adaptive algorithms. All chapters include exercises and all R programs are available as an R package called mcsm. The book appeals to anyone with a practical interest in simulation methods but no previous exposure. It is meant to be useful for students and practitioners in areas such as statistics, signal processing, communications engineering, control theory, econometrics, finance and more. The programming parts are introduced progressively to be accessible to any reader.

We have sold 4300 copies worldwide of the first edition (1999). This new edition contains five completely new chapters covering new developments.

Since their popularization in the 1990s, Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods have revolutionized statistical computing and have had an especially profound impact on the practice of Bayesian statistics. Furthermore, MCMC methods have enabled the development and use of intricate models in an astonishing array of disciplines as diverse as fisherie

A comprehensive overview of Monte Carlo simulation that explores the latest topics, techniques, and real-world applications More and more of today’s numerical problems found in engineering and finance are solved through Monte Carlo methods. The heightened popularity of these methods and their continuing development makes it important for researchers to have a comprehensive understanding of the Monte Carlo approach. Handbook of Monte Carlo Methods provides the theory, algorithms, and applications that helps provide a thorough understanding of the emerging dynamics of this rapidly-growing field. The authors begin with a discussion of fundamentals such as how to generate random numbers on a computer. Subsequent chapters discuss key Monte Carlo topics and methods, including: Random variable and stochastic process generation Markov chain Monte Carlo, featuring key algorithms such as the Metropolis-Hastings method, the Gibbs sampler, and hit-and-run Discrete-event simulation Techniques for the statistical analysis of simulation data including the delta method, steady-state estimation, and kernel density estimation Variance reduction, including importance sampling, latin hypercube sampling, and conditional Monte Carlo Estimation of derivatives and sensitivity analysis Advanced topics including cross-entropy, rare events, kernel density estimation, quasi Monte Carlo, particle systems, and randomized optimization The presented theoretical concepts are illustrated with worked examples that use MATLAB®, a related Web site houses the MATLAB® code, allowing readers to work hands-on with the material and also features the author's own lecture notes on Monte Carlo methods. Detailed appendices provide background material on probability theory, stochastic processes, and mathematical statistics as well as the key optimization concepts and techniques that are relevant to Monte Carlo simulation. Handbook of Monte Carlo Methods is an excellent reference for applied statisticians and practitioners working in the fields of engineering and finance who use or would like to learn how to use Monte Carlo in their research. It is also a suitable supplement for courses on Monte Carlo methods and computational statistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels.

The first seven chapters use R for probability simulation and computation, including random number generation, numerical and Monte Carlo integration, and finding limiting distributions of Markov Chains with both discrete and continuous states. Applications include coverage probabilities of binomial confidence intervals, estimation of disease prevalence from screening tests, parallel redundancy for improved reliability of systems, and various kinds of genetic modeling. These initial chapters can be used for a non-Bayesian course in the simulation of applied probability models and Markov Chains. Chapters 8 through 10 give a brief introduction to Bayesian estimation and illustrate the use of Gibbs samplers to find posterior distributions and interval estimates, including some examples in which traditional methods do not give satisfactory results. WinBUGS software is introduced with a detailed explanation of its interface and examples of its use for Gibbs sampling for Bayesian estimation. No previous experience using R is required. An appendix introduces R, and complete R code is included for almost all computational examples and problems (along with comments and explanations). Noteworthy features of the book are its intuitive approach, presenting ideas with examples from biostatistics, reliability, and other fields; its large number of figures; and its extraordinarily large number of problems (about a third of the pages), ranging from simple drill to presentation of additional topics. Hints and answers are provided for many of the problems. These features make the book ideal for students of statistics at the senior undergraduate and at the beginning graduate levels.

Taking the topics of a quantitative methodology course and illustrating them through Monte Carlo simulation, Monte Carlo Simulation and Resampling Methods for Social Science, by Thomas M. Carsey and Jeffrey J. Harden, examines abstract principles, such as bias, efficiency, and measures of uncertainty in an intuitive, visual way. Instead of thinking in the abstract about what would happen to a particular estimator "in repeated samples," the book uses simulation to actually create those repeated samples and summarize the results. The book includes basic examples appropriate for readers learning the material for the first time, as well as more advanced examples that a researcher might use to evaluate an estimator he or she was using in an actual research project. The book also covers a wide range of topics related to Monte Carlo simulation, such as resampling methods, simulations of substantive theory, simulation of quantities of interest (QI) from model results, and cross-validation. Complete R code from all examples is provided so readers can replicate every analysis presented using R.