Chapter 7

Inferring a Binomial Proportion via the Metropolis Algorithm

Contents

7.1 A Simple Case of the Metropolis Algorithm

7.1.1 A Politician Stumbles on the Metropolis Algorithm

7.1.2 A Random Walk

7.1.3 General Properties of a Random Walk

7.1.4 Why We Care

7.1.5 Why It Works

7.2 The Metropolis Algorithm More Generally

7.2.1 “Burn-in,” Efficiency, and Convergence

7.2.2 Terminology: Markov Chain Monte Carlo

7.3 From the Sampled Posterior to the Three Goals

7.3.1 Estimation

7.3.2 Prediction

7.3.3 Model Comparison: Estimation of p(D) 137

7.4 MCMC in BUGS

7.4.1 Parameter Estimation with BUGS

7.4.2 BUGS for Prediction

7.4.3 BUGS for Model Comparison

7.5 Conclusion

7.6 R Code

7.6.1 R Code for a Home-Grown Metropolis Algorithm

7.7 Exercises

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