Proceedings of a conference held in Santa Barbara, California, May 20-22, 1993

This book covers the theoretical foundations of advanced mean field methods, explores the relation between the different approaches, examines the quality of the approximation obtained, and demonstrates their application to various areas of probabilistic modeling. A major problem in modern probabilistic modeling is the huge computational complexity involved in typical calculations with multivariate probability distributions when the number of random variables is large. Because exact computations are infeasible in such cases and Monte Carlo sampling techniques may reach their limits, there is a need for methods that allow for efficient approximate computations. One of the simplest approximations is based on the mean field method, which has a long history in statistical physics. The method is widely used, particularly in the growing field of graphical models. Researchers from disciplines such as statistical physics, computer science, and mathematical statistics are studying ways to improve this and related methods and are exploring novel application areas. Leading approaches include the variational approach, which goes beyond factorizable distributions to achieve systematic improvements; the TAP (Thouless-Anderson-Palmer) approach, which incorporates correlations by including effective reaction terms in the mean field theory; and the more general methods of graphical models. Bringing together ideas and techniques from these diverse disciplines, this book covers the theoretical foundations of advanced mean field methods, explores the relation between the different approaches, examines the quality of the approximation obtained, and demonstrates their application to various areas of probabilistic modeling.

Since its introduction in 1972, Stein’s method has offered a completely novel way of evaluating the quality of normal approximations. Through its characterizing equation approach, it is able to provide approximation error bounds in a wide variety of situations, even in the presence of complicated dependence. Use of the method thus opens the door to the analysis of random phenomena arising in areas including statistics, physics, and molecular biology. Though Stein's method for normal approximation is now mature, the literature has so far lacked a complete self contained treatment. This volume contains thorough coverage of the method’s fundamentals, includes a large number of recent developments in both theory and applications, and will help accelerate the appreciation, understanding, and use of Stein's method by providing the reader with the tools needed to apply it in new situations. It addresses researchers as well as graduate students in Probability, Statistics and Combinatorics.

Working computationally in applied mathematics is the very essence of dealing with real-world problems in science and engineering. Approximation theory-on the borderline between pure and applied mathematics- has always supplied some of the most innovative ideas, computational methods, and original approaches to many types of problems. The f

This book provides comprehensive information on the main aspects of Bernstein operators, based on the literature to date. Bernstein operators have a long-standing history and many papers have been written on them. Among all types of positive linear operators, they occupy a unique position because of their elegance and notable approximation properties. This book presents carefully selected material from the vast body of literature on this topic. In addition, it highlights new material, including several results (with proofs) appearing in a book for the first time. To facilitate comprehension, exercises are included at the end of each chapter. The book is largely self-contained and the methods in the proofs are kept as straightforward as possible. Further, it requires only a basic grasp of analysis, making it a valuable and appealing resource for advanced graduate students and researchers alike.

The Mathieu series is a functional series introduced by Émile Léonard Mathieu for the purposes of his research on the elasticity of solid bodies. Bounds for this series are needed for solving biharmonic equations in a rectangular domain. In addition to Tomovski and his coauthors, Pogany, Cerone, H. M. Srivastava, J. Choi, etc. are some of the known authors who published results concerning the Mathieu series, its generalizations and their alternating variants. Applications of these results are given in classical, harmonic and numerical analysis, analytical number theory, special functions, mathematical physics, probability, quantum field theory, quantum physics, etc. Integral representations, analytical inequalities, asymptotic expansions and behaviors of some classes of Mathieu series are presented in this book. A systematic study of probability density functions and probability distributions associated with the Mathieu series, its generalizations and Planck’s distribution is also presented. The book is addressed at graduate and PhD students and researchers in mathematics and physics who are interested in special functions, inequalities and probability distributions.