2
$\begingroup$

Many frequentist methods have direct Bayesian analogues, and vice versa. But there are some instances where the frequentist version is extremely cumbersome if not outright impossible. Those methods, if widely applicable and useful, could be considered system sellers of the Bayesian paradigm.

Allen Downey (whose blog post gave me the idea for this question) names Thompson sampling as essentially a sequential alternative to A/B testing where exploration is costly.

Another example, although less of a method than a general feature of Bayesian posteriors, is the ease with which uncertainty of transformed parameters can be calculated, as compared to the frequentist Delta method which is more complicated and also makes more assumptions (this example is from Kery, Introduction to WinBUGS).

I'm curious whether there are any other examples of something highly practical that is much easier in Bayesian statistics than in frequentism.

$\endgroup$
3
  • $\begingroup$ Is 'much easier' an important criterion? What about 'more meaningful' instead? $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 2 at 23:09
  • $\begingroup$ That would be a relevant criterion, too, of course. But I thought for practitioners in particular, the ease of implementation might the decisive factor. $\endgroup$
    – Durden
    Commented Mar 3 at 19:16
  • $\begingroup$ I guess this question from archives is rather similar. $\endgroup$
    – Durden
    Commented Mar 8 at 4:09

0

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.