Quoting parameter-estimation results
- Document #:
- LIGO-T1500597-v1
- Document type:
- T - Technical notes
Other Versions:
- Abstract:
- Measuring the properties of a gravitational-wave signal is a question of parameter estimation. The end result of these studies is a set of samples drawn from the posterior probability distribution. The posterior contains all the information that we have, but may not be easily digestible; in many cases, it is desirable to quote summary statistics to concisely describe findings. In most practical cases, it is impossible to compress a complete description of a distribution down to a single number; therefore, any point estimate could miss key pieces of information. Here, we discuss various possibilities for summary statistics. We also include a discussion of how to quote systematic errors on parameter estimates. While there is no perfect answer, our suggestion is to use \( X^{+Y}_{-Z} \), where \( X \) is the median \( Y \) and \( Z \) are estimates for the statistical error (measurement precision) from the bounds of a symmetric credible interval, and then add in estimates for systematic error from the range of \( X \), \( Y \) and \( Z \), which could be presented as \( X^{+Y\pm y}_{-Z\pm z} \) or \( (X\pm x)^{+Y\pm y}_{-Z\pm z} \).
- Files in Document:
-
- Manuscript (pointEstimate.pdf, 151.9 kB)
- Topics:
- Authors:
- Notes and Changes:
- Files in CBC SVN under /pe/papers/pointEstimatesTechNote/