Title : 
Estimation via Markov chain Monte Carlo
         
        
        
            Author_Institution : 
Appl. Phys. Lab., Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD, USA
         
        
        
        
        
            fDate : 
4/1/2003 12:00:00 AM
         
        
        
        
            Abstract : 
Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is a powerful means for generating random samples that can be used in computing statistical estimates and marginal and conditional probabilities. MCMC methods rely on dependent (Markov) sequences having a limiting distribution corresponding to a distribution of interest. This article is a survey of popular implementations of MCMC, focusing particularly on the two most popular specific implementations of MCMC: Metropolis-Hastings (M-H) and Gibbs sampling. Our aim is to provide the reader with some of the central motivation and the rudiments needed for a straightforward application.
         
        
            Keywords : 
Markov processes; Monte Carlo methods; probability; sampling methods; Gibbs sampling; Markov chain Monte Carlo; Metropolis-Hastings algorithm; conditional probabilities; limiting distribution; marginal probabilities; random samples; statistical estimation; Bayesian methods; Books; Monte Carlo methods; Physics; Power generation; Probability; Sampling methods; Statistics; Stochastic processes; Terminology;
         
        
        
            Journal_Title : 
Control Systems, IEEE
         
        
        
        
        
            DOI : 
10.1109/MCS.2003.1188770