Valencia International Meetings on Bayesian Statistics


Bayesian Statistics

Statistics is primarily concerned with the analysis of data, either to assist in the appreciation of some underlying mechanism, or to reach effective decisions. In both cases, some uncertainty resides in the situation and the statistician's tasks are both to reduce this uncertainty and to explain it clearly. Problems of this type occur throughout science, economics, law, etc... One way of looking at statistics stems from the appreciation that all uncertainty must be described by probability: that probability is the only sensible language for a logic that deals with all degrees of uncertainty, and not just with the extremes of truth and falsity. This is called Bayesian Statistics. Decision-making is embraced by introducing a utility function, itself probability-based, and then maximizing expected utility. Bayesian statistics is designed to handle all situations where uncertainty is found. Since some uncertainty is present in most aspects of life, it is held that Bayesian statistics should be appreciated and used by everyone. It is the logic of contemporary society. It is 'common sense reduced to calculation.'

The Valencia Meetings

Since 1979, a meeting devoted to Bayesian Statistics, the Valencia International Meeting on Bayesian Statistics, has been held about every four years in the State of Valencia, Spain. The published proceedings are listed below. The tremendous number of citations generated by them underscores their scientific relevance. The numbers attending have dramatically increased and include not only specialist statisticians but also others whose work has uncertainty as an important ingredient. The preface, the contents, and ordering information for the proceedings of the last meeting, Bayesian Statistics 6 will shortly be posted here.
  1. Bernardo, J. M., M. H. DeGroot, D. V. Lindley and A. F. M. Smith, (eds.) (1980).
    Bayesian Statistics. Valencia: University Press.
  2. Bernardo, J. M., M. H. DeGroot, D. V. Lindley and A. F. M. Smith, (eds.) (1985).
    Bayesian Statistics 2. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
  3. Bernardo, J. M., M. H. DeGroot, D. V. Lindley and A. F. M. Smith, (eds.) (1988).
    Bayesian Statistics 3. Oxford: University Press.
  4. Bernardo, J. M., J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid and A. F. M. Smith, (eds.) (1992).
    Bayesian Statistics 4. Oxford: University Press.
  5. Bernardo, J. M., J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid and A. F. M. Smith, (eds.) (1996).
    Bayesian Statistics 5. Oxford: University Press.
  6. Bernardo, J. M., J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid and A. F. M. Smith, (eds.) (1999).
    Bayesian Statistics 6. Oxford: University Press.

Valencia 7 [Early June, 2002]

The Seventh Valencia International Meeting on Bayesian Statistics will be organized in early June, 2002.

Organization:

Conference President: Dennis V. Lindley (UK)

Programme Committee:


Valencia Mailing List

If you may be interested in attending Valencia 7, or if you just want to be included in the conference mailing list, please send to the local organizer, José M. Bernardo, (jose.m.bernardo@uv.es) the following information:

Name:
Affiliation:
Postal address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Internet address:
Web address:
Area(s) of interest within Bayesian Statistics:


This web page,
http://www.uv.es/~bernardo/valenciam.html
and its US mirror,
http://www.stat.duke.edu/~bernardo/valenciam.html
will be periodically updated as the organization of the Meeting progresses.

It was last modified on February 17th, 1999.