In this chapter, we have taken a conceptual walk through some of the most common methods used to compute the posterior distribution, including variational methods and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. We have put special emphasis on universal inference engines, methods that are designed to work on any given model (or at least a broad range of models). These methods are the core of any probabilistic programming language as they allow for automatic inference, letting users concentrate on iterative model design and interpretations of the results. We also discussed numerical and visual tests for diagnosing samples. Without good approximations to the posterior distribution, all the advantages and flexibility of the Bayesian framework vanish, so evaluating the quality of the inference process is crucial for us to be confident of the quality of the inference process itself.
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Bayesian Analysis with Python
By :
Bayesian Analysis with Python
By:
Overview of this book
The second edition of Bayesian Analysis with Python is an introduction to the main concepts of applied Bayesian inference and its practical implementation in Python using PyMC3, a state-of-the-art probabilistic programming library, and ArviZ, a new library for exploratory analysis of Bayesian models.
The main concepts of Bayesian statistics are covered using a practical and computational approach. Synthetic and real data sets are used to introduce several types of models, such as generalized linear models for regression and classification, mixture models, hierarchical models, and Gaussian processes, among others.
By the end of the book, you will have a working knowledge of probabilistic modeling and you will be able to design and implement Bayesian models for your own data science problems. After reading the book you will be better prepared to delve into more advanced material or specialized statistical modeling if you need to.
Table of Contents (11 chapters)
Preface
Free Chapter
Thinking Probabilistically
Programming Probabilistically
Modeling with Linear Regression
Generalizing Linear Models
Model Comparison
Mixture Models
Gaussian Processes
Inference Engines
Where To Go Next?
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