Charles Griffin & Company Limited, 1945. - 457 pages.
Classic Kendall's Advanced Theory of Statistics.
PREFACE
The need for a thorough exposition of the theory of statistics has been repeatedly emphasised in recent years. The object of this book is to develop a systematic treatment of that theory as it exists at the present time. Originally my intention was to complete the work in one volume, but the war has made such a course impossible. . Nevertheless, this first volume is largely complete in itself and can, I hope, be profitably read in advance of the publication of its successor.
In 1938 Dr. M. S. Bartlett, Dr. J.
0. Irwin, Professor E. S. Pearson, Dr. John Wishart and I discussed the possibility of writing a treatise on the theory of statistics in co-operation, and even got as far as sketching a synopsis. This proposal, however, had to be abandoned after the outbreak of war, and with some misgivings I decided to proceed alone. My present treatment differs very considerably from the one then agreed upon, since a number of sacrifices of viewpoint made for the purpose of reaching unanimity are no longer necessary. I must accordingly assume sole responsibility for the form and content of the present book, but acknowledgment is due to my colleagues for the helpful discussions which took place while the synopsis of the original proposal was being drafted.
Apart from the usual problems arising in writing any book with pretensions to comprehensiveness — emphasis, rejection of unimportant material, sequence of presentation, and so forth —t here were two main questions to be decided in regard to this book: the amount of mathematics admitted, and the point of introduction of the theory of probability. Statistical theory is essentially mathematical, and I have not hesitated — in fact I have been compelled — to adopt a rather advanced mathematical treatment in order to achieve rigour where it ia attainable in the present state of our knowledge. Nevertheless I have tried (in places, perhaps, with indifferent success) to keep the mathematics to heel. This is intended to be a book on statistics, not on statistical mathematics.
Classic Kendall's Advanced Theory of Statistics.
PREFACE
The need for a thorough exposition of the theory of statistics has been repeatedly emphasised in recent years. The object of this book is to develop a systematic treatment of that theory as it exists at the present time. Originally my intention was to complete the work in one volume, but the war has made such a course impossible. . Nevertheless, this first volume is largely complete in itself and can, I hope, be profitably read in advance of the publication of its successor.
In 1938 Dr. M. S. Bartlett, Dr. J.
0. Irwin, Professor E. S. Pearson, Dr. John Wishart and I discussed the possibility of writing a treatise on the theory of statistics in co-operation, and even got as far as sketching a synopsis. This proposal, however, had to be abandoned after the outbreak of war, and with some misgivings I decided to proceed alone. My present treatment differs very considerably from the one then agreed upon, since a number of sacrifices of viewpoint made for the purpose of reaching unanimity are no longer necessary. I must accordingly assume sole responsibility for the form and content of the present book, but acknowledgment is due to my colleagues for the helpful discussions which took place while the synopsis of the original proposal was being drafted.
Apart from the usual problems arising in writing any book with pretensions to comprehensiveness — emphasis, rejection of unimportant material, sequence of presentation, and so forth —t here were two main questions to be decided in regard to this book: the amount of mathematics admitted, and the point of introduction of the theory of probability. Statistical theory is essentially mathematical, and I have not hesitated — in fact I have been compelled — to adopt a rather advanced mathematical treatment in order to achieve rigour where it ia attainable in the present state of our knowledge. Nevertheless I have tried (in places, perhaps, with indifferent success) to keep the mathematics to heel. This is intended to be a book on statistics, not on statistical mathematics.