This book provides an introduction to the modern theory of likelihood-based statistical inference. This theory is characterized by several important features. One is the recognition that it is desirable to condition on relevant ancillary statistics. Another is that probability approximations are based on saddlepoint and closely related approximations that generally have very high accuracy. A third aspect is that, for models with nuisance parameters, inference is often based on marginal or conditional likelihoods, or approximations to these likelihoods. These methods have been shown often to...

This detailed introduction to distribution theory is designed as a text for the probability portion of the first year statistical theory sequence for Master's and PhD students in statistics, biostatistics, and econometrics. The text uses no measure theory, requiring only a background in calculus and linear algebra. Topics range from the basic distribution and density functions, expectation, conditioning, characteristic functions, cumulants, convergence in distribution and the central limit theorem to more advanced concepts such as exchangeability, models with a group structure, asymptotic...

This detailed introduction to distribution theory is designed as a text for the probability portion of the first year statistical theory sequence for Master's and PhD students in statistics, biostatistics, and econometrics. The text uses no measure theory, requiring only a background in calculus and linear algebra. Topics range from the basic distribution and density functions, expectation, conditioning, characteristic functions, cumulants, convergence in distribution and the central limit theorem to more advanced concepts such as exchangeability, models with a group structure, asymptotic...