PHYSTAT informal review: Asymmetric Uncertainties

by Alessandra Brazzale (University of Padova), Roger Barlow (University of Huddersfield (GB))

Wednesday 28 Feb 2024, 15:30 → 17:00 Europe/Zurich

This is the second PHYSTAT Informal Review event. In this new virtual format, a Tandem consisting of a physicist and a statistician will review a statistical method introduced by one of the parties or a general critical analysis topic from the Physicist's and Statistician's perspectives. The virtual events comprise: two 20+10 min. complementary presentations followed by ~30 minutes of general discussion. 

Today Roger Barlow (Physicist, Huddersfield) and Alessandra Brazzale (Statistician, Padova) will review the topic of   "Asymmetric Uncertainties"

Agenda:

• 3.30 pm Opening 
• 3.30 pm Presentation Roger Barlow (20'+10')
• 4 pm Presentation Alessandra Brazzale (20'+10')
• 4.30 pm General Discussion and Closing (30')

Abstract: 

We present a procedure for handling asymmetric errors. Many results in particle physics are presented as values with different positive and negative errors, and there is no consistent procedure for handling them. We consider the difference between errors quoted using likelihood and using pdfs, and the difference between the rms spread of a measurement and the 68% central confidence region. We provide a full analysis of the possibilities, and software tools to enable their use. 

Alessandra_Brazzale_slides.pdf

GMT20240228-143203_Recording_1920x1080.mp4

Roger_Barlow_slides.pdf