Workshop/Conference for Probability Models and Statistical Analyses for Ranking Data

Ohio State University Research Foundation -Do Not Use, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

abstract PI: Joseph Verducci proposal: 0428026 Workshop/Conference for Probability Models and Statistical Analyses for Ranking Data The workshop, geared toward young researchers, is comprised of five week-long background courses and a lecture series of current research topics. The five short courses for ranking data are 1) Probability Models; 2) Experimental Designs and Analysis; 3) Simulation Based Methods; 4) Paired Comparisons; 5) Tests of Independence. Current research topics include Ranking Methods for Search Engines, Connections with the Theory of Group Representations, and Random Effects in Consumer Preferences. The conference, geared more toward specialists, consists of invited and contributed papers from diverse areas, including Machine Learning, Algebra, and Utility Theory. Contributed papers emphasize current applications. Data in the form of rankings may be found everywhere: in marketing, rankings are the key to studying subtle changes in consumer preferences under changing conditions; in sports, for determining everything from college team seedings to Olympic medals; on the internet, thousands of similar sites must be ranked in different ways to meet the needs of diverse clients. Accurate analysis of such data requires specialized methods. Historically these methods were studied in three eras, the pre-computer era, where simple models were constructed, largely based on theories from psychology and economics; the early computer era, where many models were categorized and implemented; and the modern era, where models are being tailored to complex problems. The workshop/conference is designed to lead young researchers through the diverse literature to the current state of the art.