Related papers: Improper posteriors are not improper
In 1933 Kolmogorov constructed a general theory that defines the modern concept of conditional probability. In 1955 Renyi fomulated a new axiomatic theory for probability motivated by the need to include unbounded measures. We introduce a…
In 1933 Kolmogorov constructed a general theory that defines the modern concept of conditional probability. In 1955 Renyi fomulated a new axiomatic theory for probability motivated by the need to include unbounded measures. This note…
The axiomatic foundation of probability theory presented by Kolmogorov has been the basis of modern theory for probability and statistics. In certain applications it is, however, necessary or convenient to allow improper (unbounded)…
The purpose of this paper is to present a mathematical theory that can be used as a foundation for statistics that include improper priors. This theory includes improper laws in the initial axioms and has in particular Bayes theorem as a…
Within the Kolmogorov theory of probability, Bayes' rule allows one to perform statistical inference by relating conditional probabilities to unconditional probabilities. As we show here, however, there is a continuous set of alternative…
Bayesian inference paradigms are regarded as powerful tools for solution of inverse problems. However, when applied to inverse problems in physical sciences, Bayesian formulations suffer from a number of inconsistencies that are often…
When performing Bayesian inference, we frequently need to work with conditional probability densities. For example, the posterior function is the conditional density of the parameters given the data. Some might worry that conditional…
In 1957, Lindley published "A statistical paradox" in Biometrika, revealing a fundamental conflict between frequentist and Bayesian inference as sample size approaches infinity. We present a new paradox of a different kind: a conflict…
A central challenge in statistical inference is the presence of confounding variables that may distort observed associations between treatment and outcome. Conventional "causal" methods, grounded in assumptions such as ignorability, exclude…
How to form priors that do not seem artificial or arbitrary is a central question in Bayesian statistics. The case of forming a prior on the truth of a proposition for which there is no evidence, and the definte evidence that the event can…
Using the ideas of abstract algebra, we introduce the basic concepts of abstract probability theory that generalize the Kolmogorov's probability theory, possibility theory and other theories that deal with uncertainty. Based on abstract…
The prior distribution on parameters of a sampling distribution is the usual starting point for Bayesian uncertainty quantification. In this paper, we present a different perspective which focuses on missing observations as the source of…
Estimation of parameters that obey specific constraints is crucial in statistics and machine learning; for example, when parameters are required to satisfy boundedness, monotonicity, or linear inequalities. Traditional approaches impose…
Several approaches to causal inference from observational studies have been proposed. Since the proposal of Rubin (1974) many works have developed a counterfactual approach to causality, statistically formalized by potential outcomes. Pearl…
The fiducial coincides with the posterior in a group model equipped with the right Haar prior. This result is here generalized. For this the underlying probability space of Kolmogorov is replaced by a $\sigma$-finite measure space and…
In their seminal 1990 paper, Wasserman and Kadane establish an upper bound for the Bayes' posterior probability of a measurable set $A$, when the prior lies in a class of probability measures $\mathcal{P}$ and the likelihood is precise.…
While Kolmogorov's probability axioms are widely recognized, it is less well known that in an often-overlooked 1930 note, Kolmogorov proposed an axiomatic framework for a unifying concept of the mean -- referred to as regular means. This…
Kolmogorov's axioms of probability theory are extended to conditional probabilities among distinct (and sometimes intertwining) contexts. Formally, this amounts to row stochastic matrices whose entries characterize the conditional…
This paper discusses the dual interpretation of the Jeffreys--Lindley's paradox associated with Bayesian posterior probabilities and Bayes factors, both as a differentiation between frequentist and Bayesian statistics and as a pointer to…
There has not been an established mathematical measure of evidence. Some Bayesians have argued that probability can be an objectively correct measure of ``rational degrees of belief,'' which we do not distinguish from evidence. However,…