Stephen Stigler : Bernoulli and Bayes: The 300th and 250th Anniversaries of Two Iconic Works

Posted by Ryan Martin , part of the Departmental Colloquium.

At

Nov. 22, 2013, 3 p.m.

In

SEO 636

Abstract

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the publication of Jacob Bernoulli1s book, Ars Conjectandi, and the 250th anniversary of the reading of Thomas Bayes1s famous work to the Royal Society of London. Bernoulli1s book is widely know as the source for the Law of Large Numbers, while Bayes1s article is regarded as the original introduction of Bayesian inference. It might be supposed that after so many years of intensive study there is nothing new to be said about either. This supposition is incorrect, and the surprising results of recent research will be presented that may help deepen our understanding of both.