Algebraic statistics uses tools from algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, combinatorics, and their computational sides to address problems in statistics and its applications. The starting point for this connection is the observation that many statistical models are semialgebraic sets. The algebra/statistics connection is now over twenty years old, and this book presents the first broad introductory treatment of the subject. Along with background material in probability, algebra, and statistics, this book covers a range of topics in algebraic statistics including algebraic exponential families, likelihood inference, Fisher's exact test, bounds on entries of contingency tables, design of experiments, identifiability of hidden variable models, phylogenetic models, and model selection. With numerous examples, references, and over 150 exercises, this book is suitable for both classroom use and independent study.

Written by pioneers in this exciting new field, Algebraic Statistics introduces the application of polynomial algebra to experimental design, discrete probability, and statistics. It begins with an introduction to Grobner bases and a thorough description of their applications to experimental design. A special chapter covers the binary case

How does an algebraic geometer studying secant varieties further the understanding of hypothesis tests in statistics? Why would a statistician working on factor analysis raise open problems about determinantal varieties? Connections of this type are at the heart of the new field of "algebraic statistics". In this field, mathematicians and statisticians come together to solve statistical inference problems using concepts from algebraic geometry as well as related computational and combinatorial techniques. The goal of these lectures is to introduce newcomers from the different camps to algebraic statistics. The introduction will be centered around the following three observations: many important statistical models correspond to algebraic or semi-algebraic sets of parameters; the geometry of these parameter spaces determines the behaviour of widely used statistical inference procedures; computational algebraic geometry can be used to study parameter spaces and other features of statistical models.

Algebraic statistics is a rapidly developing field, where ideas from statistics and algebra meet and stimulate new research directions. One of the origins of algebraic statistics is the work by Diaconis and Sturmfels in 1998 on the use of Gröbner bases for constructing a connected Markov chain for performing conditional tests of a discrete exponential family. In this book we take up this topic and present a detailed summary of developments following the seminal work of Diaconis and Sturmfels. This book is intended for statisticians with minimal backgrounds in algebra. As we ourselves learned algebraic notions through working on statistical problems and collaborating with notable algebraists, we hope that this book with many practical statistical problems is useful for statisticians to start working on the field.

This book, first published in 2005, offers an introduction to the application of algebraic statistics to computational biology.

This book provides an introduction to various aspects of Algebraic Statistics with the principal aim of supporting Master’s and PhD students who wish to explore the algebraic point of view regarding recent developments in Statistics. The focus is on the background needed to explore the connections among discrete random variables. The main objects that encode these relations are multilinear matrices, i.e., tensors. The book aims to settle the basis of the correspondence between properties of tensors and their translation in Algebraic Geometry. It is divided into three parts, on Algebraic Statistics, Multilinear Algebra, and Algebraic Geometry. The primary purpose is to describe a bridge between the three theories, so that results and problems in one theory find a natural translation to the others. This task requires, from the statistical point of view, a rather unusual, but algebraically natural, presentation of random variables and their main classical features. The third part of the book can be considered as a short, almost self-contained, introduction to the basic concepts of algebraic varieties, which are part of the fundamental background for all who work in Algebraic Statistics.

Systems Biology is now entering a mature phase in which the key issues are characterising uncertainty and stochastic effects in mathematical models of biological systems. The area is moving towards a full statistical analysis and probabilistic reasoning over the inferences that can be made from mathematical models. This handbook presents a comprehensive guide to the discipline for practitioners and educators, in providing a full and detailed treatment of these important and emerging subjects. Leading experts in systems biology and statistics have come together to provide insight in to the major ideas in the field, and in particular methods of specifying and fitting models, and estimating the unknown parameters. This book: Provides a comprehensive account of inference techniques in systems biology. Introduces classical and Bayesian statistical methods for complex systems. Explores networks and graphical modeling as well as a wide range of statistical models for dynamical systems. Discusses various applications for statistical systems biology, such as gene regulation and signal transduction. Features statistical data analysis on numerous technologies, including metabolic and transcriptomic technologies. Presents an in-depth presentation of reverse engineering approaches. Provides colour illustrations to explain key concepts. This handbook will be a key resource for researchers practising systems biology, and those requiring a comprehensive overview of this important field.

Recent advances in both the theory and implementation of computational algebraic geometry have led to new, striking applications to a variety of fields of research. The articles in this volume highlight a range of these applications and provide introductory material for topics covered in the IMA workshops on "Optimization and Control" and "Applications in Biology, Dynamics, and Statistics" held during the IMA year on Applications of Algebraic Geometry. The articles related to optimization and control focus on burgeoning use of semidefinite programming and moment matrix techniques in computational real algebraic geometry. The new direction towards a systematic study of non-commutative real algebraic geometry is well represented in the volume. Other articles provide an overview of the way computational algebra is useful for analysis of contingency tables, reconstruction of phylogenetic trees, and in systems biology. The contributions collected in this volume are accessible to non-experts, self-contained and informative; they quickly move towards cutting edge research in these areas, and provide a wealth of open problems for future research.