Talk:Estimation theory

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[edit] Merging

I think estimation (of what's directly relevant to statistics) should be merged into [[estimation theory). Cburnett 03:25, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Merge with Estimator

I disagree with this merge. Estimation theory and an estimator are not the same. One being a theory on how to estimate and the other being a function of estimation. For example, estimation theory is not the same as the Minimum mean-square error, and vice-versa. I suppose you could say mathematics is not the same as function (mathematics).

Perhaps some material can be exchanged between them, but not a merge. Cburnett 18:27, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

  • Oppose I agree with above comments, two different things --vossman 04:54, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

Have mercy! I am without knowledge and the only clue I had was the term "estimation theory." Please do not submerge the estimation theory without a reference for those of us with little knowledge. Thanks!

[edit] Against Merge

Estimation Theory and Statistical Point Estimation are two totally different approaches to the same thing. The nomeclature and methods are almost orthogonal. --Lucas Gallindo 17:36, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Statistics versus signal processing

I think a problem with this page is that it is very much focussed on Estimation Theory as it is understood in engineering esp. Signal Processing. There is also a mathematical science called Statistics which treates Estimation (and hence Estimators), Testing (and hence Statistical Tests), and so on. In principle Statistics is applicable in medicine, biology, physics, social science, economics, .... engineering ... law, sport, consumer studies ... . The page on Estimator about which there is discussion above is an example of the topic seen from Statistics. Obviously people from engineering will hardly recognise that it's all, in principle, about the same thing, and vice versa.

The subject of Estimation Theory is: construction, design, evaluation of Estimators! So one hardly needs two different pages with those two titles. I suppose that Interval Estimation is also part of estimation theory, while presently it is only treated under Estimators and not under Estimation !!!

I think there should be a general page on Estimation Theory with subtopics on Estimation theory in engineering etc.. as far as these subfields cannot identifiy themselves with the broad topic Gill110951 08:01, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fails to Give Underlying Conceptual Basis of Estimation

I agree with these last comments. The page has several topics and examples from engineering, but fails to to give the underlying concepts associated with Estimation Theory. A good book on (point) estimation, from the mathematical perspective is "Theory of Point Estimation" by E.L. Lehmann. The first few pages of this book have a good discussion of the conceptual basis of of estimation theory. An additional quibble: the second sentence in this article is technically wrong. Estimators do not pose questions; they are functions mapping the measured data into the parameter space. Yaman32 (talk) 20:33, 26 May 2008 (UTC)