140.771.01
Advanced Statistical Theory I

Location
East Baltimore
Term
1st Term
Department
Biostatistics
Credit(s)
4
Academic Year
2013 - 2014
Instruction Method
TBD
Class Time(s)
Tu, Th, 1:30 - 2:50pm
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Daniel Scharfstein
Contact Name
Daniel Scharfstein
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite

140.673-674, 140.692-694, and knowledge of laws of large numbers and central limit theorem

Description
Examines statistics as a discipline along the path towards making decisions. First examines the justification of statistics from axioms on informed preferences and its close connection to Bayesian theory, and then examines the role of standardizing intermediate steps, through various additional restrictions on estimation, and studies the properties of the resulting methods.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. be introduced to the role of statistics as a path towards inference and making decisions
  2. Discuss basic decision theory, including the properties of Bayes rules and other ordering of decision strategies
  3. justify decision theory on simple axioms, and examine reasons for studying restricted estimation strategies
  4. examine properties of unbiased estimation and functions
Instructor Consent
No consent required
Special Comments

Grade for 140.771 and 772 given at completion of 140.772.