Research topics in Probability and Statistics

**Problem solving in mathematics and statistics is inspiring and enjoyable. But are achievements in mathematics and statistics any of use in the so-called real world?**

Researchers in the Department of Statistics at Warwick are developing and utilising modern statistics, mathematics, and computing to solve practical problems.

Examples of themes for undergraduate research projects:

Discovering which genes can discriminate between diseased and healthy patients
Modelling and detecting asset price bubbles while they are happening and before they burst
Modelling infectious diseases and identifying localized outbreaks
Developing a fast algorithm through probabilistic modeling for compression of sound data
Automatically diagnosing diseases with large-scale image data utilizing crime data for crime prevention and optimal allocation of police resources
Predicting the outcome of elections based on exit poll data
Computed Tomography validation of complex structures in Additive Layer Manufacturing
Probability of containment for multitype branching process models for emerging epidemics
Non-stationary statistical modeling and inference for circadian oscillations for research in cancer chronotherapy
Bayesian Models of Category-Specific Emotional Brain Responses
Decision focused inference on Networked Proabilistic Systems: with applications to food security
Rotationally invariant statistics for examining the evidence from the pores in fingerprints
Dynamic Uncertainty Handling for Coherent Decision Making in Nuclear Emergency Response
Study of Key Interventions into Terrorism using Bayesian Networks
Assessing the risk of subsequent tonic-clonic seizures in patients with a history of simple or complex partial seizures
Multidimensional Markov-functional Interest Rate Models
Prospect Theory, Liquidation and the Disposition Effect
Dynamic Bradley-Terry modelling of sports tournaments

Further information on the wide range of research opportunities open to you as an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught student in the Department of Statistics can be found on at our Student Research Opportunities webpage.

More information about research in the Department of Statistics, both applied and theoretical, can be found at the departmental research pages.

Mathematics as bridge

The work of mathematicians and statisticians often turns out useful and essential, but typically in a less concrete manner than say the work of a scientists or a physician. David Hilbert, in his now historical address to scientists and physicians, put it this way:

"The instrument that mediates between theory and practice, between thought and observation, is mathematics; it builds the connecting bridge and makes it stronger and stronger. Thus it happens that our entire present-day culture, insofar as it rests on intellectual insight into and harnessing of nature, is founded on mathematics"

Probability and Statistics in the 21st century

Almost a century after Hilbert's words, the mathematical fundations of sciences and social sciences, and the evidence based approach in medicine are often being taken for granted. In the 21st century we are facing complex big data sets with unknown structures from manifold aspecs of the 'real world' as well as fascinating discourses about objective and subjective notions of risk and uncertainty.

Probability and statistics are mathematical disciplines for modelling and analysing theoretical and practical aspects of these burning questions.