This updated classic text will aid readers in understanding much of the current literature on order statistics: a flourishing field of study that is essential for any practising statistician and a vital part of the training for students in statistics. Written in a simple style that requires no advanced mathematical or statistical background, the book introduces the general theory of order statistics and their applications. The book covers topics such as distribution theory for order statistics from continuous and discrete populations, moment relations, bounds and approximations, order statistics in statistical inference and characterisation results, and basic asymptotic theory. There is also a short introduction to record values and related statistics. The authors have updated the text with suggestions for further reading that may be used for self-study. Written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in statistics and mathematics, practising statisticians, engineers, climatologists, economists, and biologists.

This book is designed as a unified and mathematically rigorous treatment of some recent developments of the asymptotic distribution theory of order statistics (including the extreme order statistics) that are relevant for statistical theory and its applications. Particular emphasis is placed on results concern ing the accuracy oflimit theorems, on higher order approximations, and other approximations in quite a general sense. Contrary to the classical limit theorems that primarily concern the weak convergence of distribution functions, our main results will be formulated in terms of the variational and the Hellinger distance. These results will form the proper springboard for the investigation of parametric approximations of nonparametric models of joint distributions of order statistics. The approxi mating models include normal as well as extreme value models. Several applications will show the usefulness of this approach. Other recent developments in statistics like nonparametric curve estima tion and the bootstrap method will be studied as far as order statistics are concerned. 1n connection with this, graphical methods will, to some extent, be explored.

McCrimmon, having gotten Grierson's attention, continued: "A breakthrough, you say? If it's in economics, at least it can't be dangerous. Nothing like gene engineering, laser beams, sex hormones or international relations. That's where we don't want any breakthroughs. " (Galbraith, 1. K. (1990) A Tenured Profes sor, Houghton Mifflin; Boston. ) To judge astronomy] in this way a narrow utilitarian point of view] demon strates not only how poor we are, but also how small, narrow, and indolent our minds are; it shows a disposition always to calculate the payolTbefore the work, a cold heart and a lack of feeling for everything that is great and honors man. One can unfortunately not deny that such a mode of thinking is not uncommon in our age, and I am convinced that this is closely connected with the catastro phes which have befallen many countries in recent times; do not mistake me, I do not talk of the general lack of concern for science, but of the source from which all this has come, of the tendency to everywhere look out for one's advan tage and to relate everything to one's physical well-being, of the indilTerence towards great ideas, ofthe aversion to any elTort which derives from pure enthu siasm: I believe that such attitudes, if they prevail, can be decisive in catas trophes of the kind we have experienced. Gauss, K. F.: Astronomische An trittsvorlesung (cited from Buhler, W. K. (1981) Gauss: A Biographical Study, Springer: New York)]."