Point Processes and Their Statistical Inference PDF

Preface to the Second Edition

As I have worked on this second edition, I have recalled frequently Benjamin Franklin's epitaph on himself, written sixty-two years before his death:

The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out and stripped of its lettering and gilding, lies here, food for worms; but the work shall not be lost, for it will , as he believed, appear once more in a new and more elegant edition, revised and corrected by the Author.

The second edition is, without doubt, new, revised and corrected; I do hope that it is more elegant.

The main changes are rather complete reorganization and rewriting of material pertaining to the multiplicative intensity model and stationary point processes, additional material concerning the Cox regression model, and an expanded, updated bibliography. Also, I have provided expanded explanations of many fundamental statistical concepts.

Computer text processing is both boon and anathema to perfectionists. Literally on every page, consequently, there are changes that correct the embarrassingly large number of minor errors i n the first edition, and that (are intended to) enhance readability. I n particular, I have adopted dual symbols for indicating ends of results and proofs: 0 marks the end of an unproved result or example, while proofs terminate with.

On the other hand, there must (and did) come a point at which the temptation to revise the text "one more time " must be refused; I hope that it was neither too soon nor too late.

Other changes are arguably unnecessary, but not, I think , gratuitous. One's taste changes over time, and what seemed well-turned phrases five years ago now appear affected or simply obscure, so the prose is, I hope, leaner and more natural. To those who dislike my penchant for "complicated" sentences and "unusual" words, however, I remain unapologetic: mathematics may not be literature, yet even here a distinctive style and precise, picturesque vocabulary are essential

I thank my many friends and colleagues who have read and cited the first edition, especially those who provided lists of errors and various other forms of criticism. Their response has been most gratifying, and has been the principal stimulus for my undertaking a task I once vowed never to do. Also, and belatedly, I thank Marilyn Karr for a heroic proofreading job for the first edition.

Author: Alan Karr