SMS scnews item created by Uri Keich at Thu 10 May 2012 1231
Type: Seminar
Distribution: World
Expiry: 18 May 2012
Calendar1: 18 May 2012 1400-1500
CalLoc1: Carslaw 273
Auth: uri@purix (assumed)

# Statistics Seminar: Chris Lloyd -- Computing Highly Accurate Confidence Limits from Discrete data using Importance Sampling

Chris J.  Lloyd Melbourne Business School University of Melbourne

Location: Carslaw 273

Time: 2pm Friday, May 18, 2012

Title: Computing Highly Accurate Confidence Limits from Discrete data using Importance
Sampling

Abstract: For discrete data, confidence limits based on a normal approximation to
standard likelihood based pivotal quantities can perform poorly even for quite large
sample sizes.  To construct exact limits requires the probability of a suitable tail set
as a function of the unknown parameters.  In this paper, importance sampling is used to
estimate this surface and hence the confidence limits.  The technology is simple and
straightforward to implement.  Unlike the recent methodology of Garthwaite and Jones
(2009), the new method allows for nuisance parameters; is an order of magnitude more
efficient than the Robbins-Monro bound; does not require any simulation phases or tuning
constants; gives a straightforward simulation standard error for the target limit;
includes a simple diagnostic for simulation breakdown.


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