Book Image

Bayesian Analysis with Python - Second Edition

By : Osvaldo Martin
4.5 (2)
Book Image

Bayesian Analysis with Python - Second Edition

4.5 (2)
By: Osvaldo Martin

Overview of this book

The second edition of Bayesian Analysis with Python is an introduction to the main concepts of applied Bayesian inference and its practical implementation in Python using PyMC3, a state-of-the-art probabilistic programming library, and ArviZ, a new library for exploratory analysis of Bayesian models. The main concepts of Bayesian statistics are covered using a practical and computational approach. Synthetic and real data sets are used to introduce several types of models, such as generalized linear models for regression and classification, mixture models, hierarchical models, and Gaussian processes, among others. By the end of the book, you will have a working knowledge of probabilistic modeling and you will be able to design and implement Bayesian models for your own data science problems. After reading the book you will be better prepared to delve into more advanced material or specialized statistical modeling if you need to.
Table of Contents (11 chapters)
9
Where To Go Next?

Posterior predictive checks

In Chapter 1, Thinking Probabilistically, we introduced the concept of posterior predictive checks, and, in subsequent chapters, we have used it as a way to evaluate how well models explain the same data that's used to fit the model. The purpose of posterior predictive checks is not to dictate that a model is wrong; we already know that! By performing posterior predictive checks, we hope to get a better grasp of the limitations of a model, either to properly acknowledge them, or to attempt to improve the model. Implicit, in the previous statement is the fact that models will not generally reproduce all aspects of a problem equally well. This is not generally a problem given that models are built with a purpose in mind. A posterior predictive check is a way to evaluate a model in the context of that purpose; thus, if we have more than one model...