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Data Analysis and Measurement Uncertainty

Working Group 8.42

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Article

Title: Analytical derivation of the reference prior by sequential maximization of Shannon's mutual information in the multi-group parameter case
Author(s): O. Bodnar and C. Elster
Journal: Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference
Year: 2014
Volume: 147
Pages: 106--116
DOI: 10.1016/j.jspi.2013.11.003
ISSN: 03783758
Web URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378375813002802
Keywords: Bayes,Reference prior,Shannon's mutual information,statistics
Tags: 8.42, Unsicherheit
Abstract: We provide an analytical derivation of a non-informative prior by sequential maximization of Shannon's mutual information in the multi-group parameter case assuming reasonable regularity conditions. We show that the derived prior coincides with the reference prior proposed by Berger and Bernardo, and that it can be considered as a useful alternative expression for the calculation of the reference prior. In using this expression we discuss the conditions under which an improper reference prior can be uniquely defined, i.e. when it does not depend on the particular choice of nested sequences of compact subsets of the parameter space needed for its construction. We also present the conditions under which the reference prior coincides with Jeffreys' prior.

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