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Valencia International Meetings on Bayesian Statistics

Bayesian Statistics, a definition

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 all the physical, social and other sciences. 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.'

For an elementary, college level, introduction to Bayesian Statistics, see, for example, Bernardo (2003) Bayesian Statistics, an article written for the UNESCO Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS).

The Valencia Meetings

Every four years since 1979, the University of Valencia, Spain, has sponsored meetings devoted to Bayesian Statistics, the Valencia International Meetings on Bayesian Statistics. 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.

1. J. M. Bernardo, M. H. DeGroot, D. V. Lindley and A. F. M. Smith (eds). (1980).
   Bayesian Statistics. Valencia: University Press.
   Full text available at (better quality, not searchable) Valencia1.pdf or (lesser quality, searchable) Valencia1.pdf
2. J. M. Bernardo, M. H. DeGroot, D. V. Lindley and A. F. M. Smith (eds). (1985). Bayesian Statistics 2. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
   Full text available at Valencia2.pdf
3. J. M. Bernardo, M. H. DeGroot, D. V. Lindley and A. F. M. Smith (eds).(1988).
   Bayesian Statistics 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. J. M. Bernardo, J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid and A. F. M. Smith (eds). (1992).
   Bayesian Statistics 4. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. J. M. Bernardo, J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid and A. F. M. Smith (eds). (1996).
   Bayesian Statistics 5. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
6. J. M. Bernardo, J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid and A. F. M. Smith (eds). (1999).
   Bayesian Statistics 6. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
   Contents available at Valencia6Contents.pdf
7. J. M. Bernardo, M. J. Bayarri, J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid, D. Heckerman, A. F. M. Smith and M. West (eds). (2003).
   Bayesian Statistics 7. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
   Preface and contents available at Valencia7Contents.pdf
8. J. M. Bernardo, M. J. Bayarri, J. O. Berger, A. P. Dawid, D. Heckerman, A. F. M. Smith and M. West (eds). (2007).
   Bayesian Statistics 8. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
   Preface and contents available at Valencia8Contents.pdf

For details on the origin and development of the Valencia International Meetings on Bayesian Statistics, click The Valencia Meetings.pdf
The Valencia Meetings are Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Conferences.

Co-sponsored by the Universitat de València (UV) and by the International Society for Bayesian Analysis (ISBA), the 9th Valencia International Meeting on Bayesian Statistics and the 2010 World Meeting of the International Society for Bayesian Analysis will jointly be held in Benidorm (Alicante, Spain) from June 3rd to June 8th, 2010. The language of the conference will be English.

Local Organizer

• José M. Bernardo (Universitat de València, Spain) jose.m.bernardo@uv.es

Programme Committee

• Susie Bayarri (Universitat de València, Spain) [susie.bayarri at uv.es]
• James O. Berger (Duke University, USA) [berger at stat.duke.edu]
• José M. Bernardo (Universitat de València, Spain) [jose.m.bernardo at uv.es]
• A. Philip Dawid (University of Cambridge, UK) [a.p.dawid at statslab.cam.ac.uk]
• David Heckerman (Microsoft Research, USA) [heckerma at microsoft.com]
• Adrian F. M. Smith (Director General for Science and Research, UK) [adrian.smith at dius.gsi.gov.uk]
• Mike West (Duke University, USA) [mw at stat.duke.edu]

Venue

Delegates are expected to arrive by Thursday June 3rd (the opening lecture will be early in the morning of June 4th) and depart on the morning of Wednesday, June 9th (the gala dinner will be on the evening of June 8th).

ISBA will organize a set of tutorials on Bayesian Statistics on Thursday, June 3rd. Thus, delegates who wish to attend the tutorials are expected to arrive one day earlier, by Wednesday June 2nd.

As in previous occasions, this will be a residential conference in a coastal resort. On this occasion, as in Valencia 8, the venue is Gran Hotel Bali (see picture below), a four star hotel with an appropriate purpose built large auditorium, built in the south end of Benidorm (50 km north from Alicante and 140 km south from Valencia).

The closest airport is Alicante (ALC), well connected to Madrid, Barcelona and many European cities, by both conventional and low-cost airlines. Given the conference dates, early flight bookings are very strongly recommended.

Possible alternatives include flying to either Valencia (VLC) or Madrid (MAD). Fast trains connect Valencia and Alicante (two hours) and Madrid and Alicante (four hours) several times a day.

A free shuttle bus service organized by the conference will be operating between Alicante airport and Hotel Bali Benidorm on both June 2nd and June 3rd, running roughly every two hours.

Conference Programme

As in previous editions, the conference will be preceded by a set of tutorials, which will be organized by ISBA, and delivered on Thursday, June 3rd.

The Valencia 9 invited programme will include 25 talks of 30 minutes each, whose presentation will be followed a by 10 minutes invited discussion, and some discussion from the floor. These talks will be delivered in plenary sessions in the mornings.

• Abrams, Keith (University of Leicester, UK)
• Bernardo, José M. (Universitat de València, Spain)
• Carvalho, Carlos (University of Chicago, USA)
• Chopin, Nick (ENSAE, France)
• Consonni, Guido (Università di Pavia, Italy)
• Donnelly, Peter (University of Oxford, UK)
• Dunson, David (Duke University, USA)
• Fruehwirth-Schnatter, Sylvia (Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria)
• Goldstein, Michael (University of Durham, UK)
• Huber, Mark (Claremont McKenna College, USA)
• Ickstadt, Katjia (Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany)
• Lee, Herbie (University of California, Santa Cruz, USA)
• Lopes, Hedibert (University of Chicago, USA)
• Loredo, Tom (University of Cornell, USA)
• Louis, Tom (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
• Madigan, David (Columbia University, USA)
• McCallum, Andrew (University of Massachusetts, USA)
• Meek, Christopher (Microsoft Research, USA)
• Meng, Xiao-Li (Harvard University, USA)
• Polson, Nick (University of Chicago, USA)
• Richardson, Sylvia (Imperial College London, UK)
• Richardson, Thomas (University of Washington, USA)
• Schmidt, Alexandra (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Tebaldi, Claudia (Climate Central, USA)
• Wilkinson, Darren (University of Newcastle, UK)

A separate programme will be organized by ISBA. This will be take place in plenary sessions the afternoons starting on June 3.

Contributed papers will be presented in poster form in the plenary evening sessions which have become an identity sign of the Valencia meetings. There will be five poster sessions, every evening from June 3rd through June 7th.

Only one presentation (whether oral or poster) per person will be allowed, and any presenter (whether speaker or poster) must be a registered participant. Coauthoring meeting both restrictions will, of course, be possible.

Registration will shortly open at this web page. The registration fee (485 Eur) reflects all expenses required for the running of the meeting (transportation, auditorium renting, facilities, equipment, coffee breaks, etc.) and includes the conference banquet. Accommodation at the Bali at special prices (59/99 Eur per day sharing/single, including breakfast and dinner) will be offered as an option on a first come, first served basis.

Valencia Mailing List

If you may be interested in attending Valencia 9, or if you just want to be included in the conference mailing list, please click the button below:
[Valencia Mailing List]

This web page, http://www.uv.es/valenciameeting
will be periodically updated as the organization of the Meeting progresses.

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