The Universitat de València, Spain, celebrates this year its 500 anniversary. Within the Centenary Programme, the University of Valencia is sponsoring an International Workshop on Objective Bayesian Methodology.
Objective Bayesian methodology is, for the most part, oriented towards the development of prior distributions that can be used automatically, i.e. that do not require subjective input. There are three quite distinct statistical domains in which this development has taken place: parametric estimation, parametric testing, and nonparametric analysis. Specific topics in these areas considered within the Workshop programme include:
1. Objective Priors and Frequentist Statistics. Bayesian analysis with objective priors is being increasingly used to obtain `optimal' frequentist procedures (in both small sample size and asymptotic senses) for confidence sets, conditional testing, and decision-theoretic problems. Conversely, frequentist performance is currently the most common tool used to evaluate the quality of objective priors.
2. Determination of Objective Priors in Important Problems. Problems will be discussed in which there have been exciting recent developments involving objective priors, including mixture models, spatial models, hierarchical models, and latent variable models. An important component of many of these results is ensuring that the objective priors will yield proper posteriors.
3. Priors for Objective Bayesian Testing and Model Selection. Included here are such recent promising techniques as `matched' conventional priors, orthogonalized priors, fractional priors, intrinsic priors, reference testing priors, projection priors, encompassing priors, and expected posterior priors.
4. Objective Priors in Nonparametric Analysis. Defining objective priors here is particularly challenging, and ensuring basic properties such as consistency of resulting inferences is difficult.
5. The Roles of Objective Bayesian Analysis. `Objective' could mean `we agree on the answer', or it could mean `we agree to use this as the default answer, in the absence of specific subjective information.' The first definition relates to robust Bayesian analysis, the second to various philosophical issues about `reference points' for comparison.
Conference Center:
The three day workshop will take place at the Peset Conference Center, a reconverted XVIII century palace in the heart of the medieval old town of the city of Valencia.
For further information and a map, please look at their web page: Peset Center
Programme Committee:
Local Organizer:
Programme:
Thursday, June 10
Friday, June 11
Berger, James O. (Duke University, USA)
Objective Bayesian Analysis of Spatially Correlated Data
(with B. Sanso, and V. De Oliveira)
Liseo, Brunero (Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy,)
Bayesian Semiparametric Inference on Long Range Dependence
(with D. Marinucci and L. Petrella)
Sun, Dongchu (University of Missouri-Columbia, USA)
Bayesian Nonparametric Regression via Conditional Autoregressive Models
Saturday, June 12
Barbieri, Marilena (Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy)
Optimal Predictive Model Selection (with J. O. Berger)
Bernardo, José M. (Universitat de València,
Spain)
Bayesian Reference Multivariate Hypothesis Testing
(with R. Rueda)
Dawid, A. Philip (University College London, UK)
The Trouble with Bayes Factors
ps.zip.file
Sunday, June 13
Datta, Gauri (University of Georgia, USA)
Bayesian Prediction with Approximate Frequentist Validity
(with R. Mukerjee, M. Ghosh and T. Sweeting)
Mukerjee, Rahul (Indian Institute of Management of Calcutta,
India)
On Confidence Intervals Associated with the Usual and
Adjusted Likelihoods (with N. Reid)
ps.z.file
There will not be published proceedings, but a booklet of extended abstracts will be distributed at the Workshop.
Valencia international airport, 7 km. from town, has direct connections to many european cities, and frequent connexions to both Madrid and Barcelona. Valencia may also be easily reached by fast trains from either Madrid or Barcelona (every one-two hours, time about 4 hours, cost about US$ 60 return).
A possible altyernative is to fly to Alicante. From Alicante to Valencia there are buses about every hour between 7h00 and 20h30 (travel time 2h00, cost US$13). There are also trains at 14h25, 16h00 and 18h25 (travel time 1h30, cost US$20)
Airport to town transportation:
Buses Valencia Airport -- Valencia Bus Station leave (6h30--22h00) every 10 min in weekdays (every 15 min in Saturday, every 30 min in Sunday). Cost is 120 pts each way (under 1US$); time: about 25 min. Note that the NH Center Hotel is exactly adjacent to the Valencia Bus Station.
Taxis airport-town will take about 10-15 min and cost about 1300 pts (under 10 US$) .
Note that both transportation systems have to be paid in local currency (pesetas: no credit cards accepted).
Accomodation:
Invited speakers will be guests of the Universitat de Valencia at the Peset Conference Center itself (see above).
All other delegates have their accomodation reserved at:
For further information and a map, please look at their web page: NH Center Hotel
Currency:
The Spanish currency is still the peseta. The Euro is only used for electronic commerce (not Euro cash until 2001) On May 19th, 1 US$ = 155 pts = 1.07 Eur .
Cash in pesetas may easily be obtained at airports, train stations, or at any branch of most banks by using a VISA, Master or AmEx card.
Arrivals:
On arrival, delegates are suggested to proceed directly to their accomodation, to check in, and then make it to the Conference Center, where registration will be open from Thursday June 10th at 18h00. A welcome party will take place at that Center from 20h00 on.
Your mail also e-mail them for specific requests to webmaster@comunitat-valenciana.com
For any further information, please contact the Local Organizer, jose.m.bernardo@uv.es
It was last modified on June 8th, 1999.