Bayesian Analysis with Python

Key Features

• Simplify the Bayes process for solving complex statistical problems using Python;
• Tutorial guide that will take the you through the journey of Bayesian analysis with the help of sample problems and practice exercises;
• Learn how and when to use Bayesian analysis in your applications with this guide.

Book Description

The purpose of this book is to teach the main concepts of Bayesian modeling using Python, we will learn how to effectively use PyMC3, a python library for probabilistic programming, to perform Bayesian parameter estimation, and to check and validate models. This book will began by introducing the key concepts of the Bayesian framework and the main advantages of this approach from a practical point of view. Moving on, we will explore the power and flexibility of generalized linear models and how to adapt them to a wide array of problems, including regression and classification. We will also look into mixture models to cluster data, and we will finish with advanced topics like non-parametrics models, decision analysis and optimization. With the help of synthetic and real-world data-sets you will learn to implement, check and expand Bayesian models to solve your statistical problems.

What you will learn

• Understand the essentials Bayesian concepts from a practical point of view
• Learn how to build probabilistic models using the Python library PyMC3
• Acquire the skills to sanity-check your models and modify them if necessary
• Add structure to your models and get the advantages of hierarchical models
• Find out how different models can be used to answer different data analysis questions
• When in doubt, learn to choose between alternative models.
• Predict continuous target outcomes using regression analysis or assign classes using logistic and softmax regression.
• Learn how to think probabilistically and unleash the power and flexibility of the Bayesian framework

Osvaldo Martin is a Researcher at The National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), the main organization in charge of the promotion of Science and Technology in Argentina. He has worked on Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biology problems, especially on how to validate protein structural models. He has experience on using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to simulate molecules and he loves to use Python to solve data analysis problems. He has taught courses about Structural Bioinformatics, Python programming and more recently Bayesian data analysis. Python and Bayesian statistics had transformed the way he do science and thinks about problems in general. He was really motivated to write this book to help others into developing probabilistic models with Python, regardless of their mathematical background. He is an active member of the PyMOL community (a C/Python-based molecular viewer) and recently he has been contributing to the PyMC3 library.