Abstract

Abstract Computer-intensive algorithms, such as the Gibbs sampler, have become increasingly popular statistical tools, both in applied and theoretical work. The properties of such algorithms, however, may sometimes not be obvious. Here we give a simple explanation of how and why the Gibbs sampler works. We analytically establish its properties in a simple case and provide insight for more complicated cases. There are also a number of examples.

Keywords

Gibbs samplingSimple (philosophy)Computer scienceStatistical physicsAlgorithmMathematicsArtificial intelligenceBayesian probabilityPhysicsEpistemologyPhilosophy

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Publication Info

Year
1992
Type
article
Volume
46
Issue
3
Pages
167-174
Citations
2342
Access
Closed

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George Casella, Edward I. George (1992). Explaining the Gibbs Sampler. The American Statistician , 46 (3) , 167-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.1992.10475878

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DOI
10.1080/00031305.1992.10475878