Practical Statistics for Astronomers (Cambridge Observing Handbooks for Research Astronomers, Series Number 8) 2nd Edition by J. V. Wall (PDF)

Description

Astronomy needs statistical methods to interpret data, but statistics is a many-faceted subject that is difficult for non-specialists to access. This handbook helps astronomers analyze the complex data and models of modern astronomy. This Second Edition has been revised to feature many more examples using Monte Carlo simulations, and now also includes Bayesian inference, Bayes factors and Markov chain Monte Carlo integration. Chapters cover basic probability, correlation analysis, hypothesis testing, Bayesian modelling, time series analysis, luminosity functions and clustering. Exercises at the end of each chapter guide readers through the techniques and tests necessary for most observational investigations. The data tables, solutions to problems, and other resources are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521732499. Bringing together the most relevant statistical and probabilistic techniques for use in observational astronomy, this handbook is a practical manual for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professional astronomers.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “Bringing together the most relevant statistical and probabilistic techniques for use in observational astronomy, this handbook is a practical manual for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professional astronomers.” -Mathematical Reviews Book Description Bringing together relevant statistical and probabilistic techniques, a practical manual for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professional astronomers. About the Author J. V. Wall is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia and Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford.C. R. Jenkins is a Research Scientist in Earth Sciences and Resource Engineering at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Wall and Jenkins have produced an excellent introduction to astrostatistics, thediscipline that is foremost interested in the statistical analysis of astronomical data.The book is clearly written for astronomers and for students in astronomy. However, itis also of good value to statisticians who already understand the statistics, but notnecessarily the appropriate application of various statistical analyses to astronomicaland cosmological data. I found the book most useful to myself in that respect.The text initially developed into a book from course notes used by the lead author forteaching statistical methods to astronomy undergraduates and graduates at the Universityof British Columbia beginning in 1977. The first edition of the text was published in 2003,following some quarter of a century of maturation. Now, some nine years later, the secondedition of the book hs been published. The text has improved as a result of feedback fromstudents, profs who adopted the text, and others who read the book, as well as from theauthors own evaluation. New developments have also taken place in astronomy, which arealso reflected in the text.The primary enhancement for the second edition is the focus on Bayesian methods and theuse of MCMC and Metroplis-Hastings/Gibbs sampling. Bayes inference is introduced in thesecond chapter, and runs throughout the text. On the other hand, the authors have maintained,and improved, the discussion of frequency-based statistics that is commnon to introductorystatistics courses. The text goes well beyond standard intro courses though in that survivalmethods, spatial modeling, sequential analysis, signal detection, and other analytic techniquesimportant to astronomy are also addressed. I particularly enjoyed the final chapters whichdeal with large scale structures including galaxy distribution statistics, galaxy formation,weak lensing statistics, and nine pages devoted to the statistics of the cosmic microwavebackground (CMB) universe.Fourteen separate tables are provided in the Appendix for statistical testing. A hostof web sites for additional information are given throughout the text, which substantiallyadds to the scope of the book. The data used in the text for examples are available onthe publishers web site for the book, as are the answers for the end-chapter exercisequestions. The answers given to these questions are not quick responses, but rather aregiven as answers together with thoughful and thorough explanations.I highly recommend this text for anyone with a background or interest in astronomy whois also interested in the statistical analysis of cosmic data. I might add that the textis very well written and engaging — a difficult thing to do for such a subject area.Joseph HilbeChair, ISI International Astrostatistics Network

⭐Perfect book to dip into for someone who’s knowledge of stats is a bit rusty – like most astronomers!

⭐Ouvrage utile pour un public avisé et déjà introduit à la matière. Ouvrage bien construit, structure claire et facile d’utilisation

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