Entropy, Statistical Evidence, and Scientific Inference: Evidence Functions in Theory and Applications
A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Multidisciplinary Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 11375
Special Issue Editors
2. Professor Emeritus, Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
Interests: statistical ecology; biometrics; mathematical modeling; theoretical ecology; conservation biology; population dynamics
2. Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 94720, USA
Interests: theoretical ecology; ecological statistics; statistical inference; evolution; philosophy of science
2. Mathematics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Interests: statistical ecology; population dynamics; theoretical ecology; statistical phylogenetics; conservation biology; mathematical population genetics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Modern statistical evidence compares the relative support in scientific data for mathematical models. The fundamental tool of comparison is the evidence function, which is a contrast of generalized entropy discrepancies. The most commonly used evidence functions are the differences of information criterion values. Statistical evidence has many desirable properties, combining attractive features of both Bayesian and classical frequentist analysis while simultaneously avoiding many of their philosophical and practical issues. The goals of this Special Issue are to stimulate the further theoretical development of statistical evidence and present real-world examples where the use of statistical evidence clarifies scientific inference. While many of the applications featured here are ecological, reflecting the editors’ areas of expertise, we welcome and anticipate accounts or critiques of evidence functions applied in other scientific areas.
Prof. Dr. Brian Dennis
Dr. Mark L. L. Taper
Prof. Dr. Jose Miguel Ponciano
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- entropy
- evidential statistics
- evidence
- hypothesis testing
- information theory
- Kullback–Leibler discrepancy
- model misspecification
- model selection
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