A Framework for Statistical Inference in Astrophysics

The rapid growth of astronomical data sets, coupled with the complexity of the questions scientists seek to answer with these data, creates an increasing need for the utilization of advanced statistical inference methods in astrophysics. Here, focus is placed on situations in which the underlying ob...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnnual review of statistics and its application Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 141 - 162
Main Author Schafer, Chad M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Annual Reviews 10.04.2015
Subjects
astrophysics
complex data
complex models
measurement error
parameter estimation
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Summary:The rapid growth of astronomical data sets, coupled with the complexity of the questions scientists seek to answer with these data, creates an increasing need for the utilization of advanced statistical inference methods in astrophysics. Here, focus is placed on situations in which the underlying objective is the estimation of cosmological parameters, the key physical constants that characterize the Universe. Owing to the complex relationship between these parameters and the observable data, this broad inference goal is best divided into three stages. The primary objective of this article is to describe these stages and thus place into a coherent framework the class of inference problems commonly encountered by those working in this field. Examples of such inference challenges are presented.
ISSN:2326-8298
2326-831X
DOI:10.1146/annurev-statistics-022513-115538