A timely collection of advanced, original material in the area of statistical methodology motivated by geometric problems, dedicated to the influential work of Kanti V. Mardia This volume celebrates Kanti V. Mardia's long and influential career in statistics. A common theme unifying much of Mardia’s work is the importance of geometry in statistics, and to highlight the areas emphasized in his research this book brings together 16 contributions from high-profile researchers in the field. Geometry Driven Statistics covers a wide range of application areas including directional data, shape analysis, spatial data, climate science, fingerprints, image analysis, computer vision and bioinformatics. The book will appeal to statisticians and others with an interest in data motivated by geometric considerations. Summarizing the state of the art, examining some new developments and presenting a vision for the future, Geometry Driven Statistics will enable the reader to broaden knowledge of important research areas in statistics and gain a new appreciation of the work and influence of Kanti V. Mardia.

A traditional approach to developing multivariate statistical theory is algebraic. Sets of observations are represented by matrices, linear combinations are formed from these matrices by multiplying them by coefficient matrices, and useful statistics are found by imposing various criteria of optimization on these combinations. Matrix algebra is the vehicle for these calculations. A second approach is computational. Since many users find that they do not need to know the mathematical basis of the techniques as long as they have a way to transform data into results, the computation can be done by a package of computer programs that somebody else has written. An approach from this perspective emphasizes how the computer packages are used, and is usually coupled with rules that allow one to extract the most important numbers from the output and interpret them. Useful as both approaches are--particularly when combined--they can overlook an important aspect of multivariate analysis. To apply it correctly, one needs a way to conceptualize the multivariate relationships that exist among variables. This book is designed to help the reader develop a way of thinking about multivariate statistics, as well as to understand in a broader and more intuitive sense what the procedures do and how their results are interpreted. Presenting important procedures of multivariate statistical theory geometrically, the author hopes that this emphasis on the geometry will give the reader a coherent picture into which all the multivariate techniques fit.

Describes computational methods for parametric and nonparametric modeling of stochastic dynamics. Aimed at graduate students, and suitable for self-study.

Sure to be influential, Watanabe's book lays the foundations for the use of algebraic geometry in statistical learning theory. Many models/machines are singular: mixture models, neural networks, HMMs, Bayesian networks, stochastic context-free grammars are major examples. The theory achieved here underpins accurate estimation techniques in the presence of singularities.

V. I. Arnold reveals some unexpected connections between such apparently unrelated theories as Galois fields, dynamical systems, ergodic theory, statistics, chaos and the geometry of projective structures on finite sets. The author blends experimental results with examples and geometrical explorations to make these findings accessible to a broad range of mathematicians, from undergraduate students to experienced researchers.

Object Oriented Data Analysis is a framework that facilitates inter-disciplinary research through new terminology for discussing the often many possible approaches to the analysis of complex data. Such data are naturally arising in a wide variety of areas. This book aims to provide ways of thinking that enable the making of sensible choices. The main points are illustrated with many real data examples, based on the authors' personal experiences, which have motivated the invention of a wide array of analytic methods. While the mathematics go far beyond the usual in statistics (including differential geometry and even topology), the book is aimed at accessibility by graduate students. There is deliberate focus on ideas over mathematical formulas. J. S. Marron is the Amos Hawley Distinguished Professor of Statistics, Professor of Biostatistics, Adjunct Professor of Computer Science, Faculty Member of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Curriculum and Research Member of the Lineberger Cancer Center and the Computational Medicine Program, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Ian L. Dryden is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Florida International University in Miami, has served as Head of School of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and is joint author of the acclaimed book Statistical Shape Analysis.

An up-to-date account of algebraic statistics and information geometry, which also explores the emerging connections between these two disciplines.