Imperfect debugging in software reliability: A Bayesian approach

The objective of studying software reliability is to assist software engineers in understanding more of the probabilistic nature of software failures during the debugging stages and to construct reliability models. In this paper, we consider modeling of a multiplicative failure rate whose components are evolving stochastically over testing stages and discuss its Bayesian estimation. In doing so, we focus on the modeling of parameters such as the fault detection rate per fault and the number of faults. We discuss how the proposed model can account for “imperfect debugging” under certain conditions. We use actual inter-failure data to carry out inference on model parameters via Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and present additional insights from Bayesian analysis.     

Joint Monitoring of Several Types of Shocks in Normal Dynamic Linear Models: A Bayesian Decision Theoretic Approach

In this article we consider the sequential monitoring process in normal dynamic linear models as a Bayesian sequential decision problem. We use this approach to build a general procedure that jointly analyzes the existence of outliers, level changes, variance changes, and the development of local correlations. In addition, we study the frequentist performance of this procedure and compare it with the monitoring algorithm proposed in an earlier article.     

Bayesian inference for the power law process

The power law process has been used to model reliability growth, software reliability and the failure times of repairable systems. This article reviews and further develops Bayesian inference for such a process. The Bayesian approach provides a unified methodology for dealing with both time and failure truncated data. As well as looking at the posterior densities of the parameters of the power law process, inference for the expected number of failures and the probability of no failures in some given time interval is discussed. Aspects of the prediction problem are examined. The results are illustrated with two data examples.     

威布尔分布的Bayes可靠性分析

本文针对两参数的威布尔分布的元件，采用Ｂａｙｅｓ方法对其可靠性进行分析，文中分别对两种假设情况进行了讨论，第一种情况是形状参数为离散取值，尺度参数为连续取值的情况，第二种情况假设形状参数的先验分布为均匀分布，尺度参数的先验分布为逆伽玛分布，推出了对应的可靠性估计和置信下限估计，并给出了计算算法，最后用实例对算法进行了验证。     

Fuzzy temporal fault tree analysis of dynamic systems

Fault tree analysis (FTA) is a powerful technique that is widely used for evaluating system safety and reliability. It can be used to assess the effects of combinations of failures on system behaviour but is unable to capture sequence dependent dynamic behaviour. A number of extensions to fault trees have been proposed to overcome this limitation. Pandora, one such extension, introduces temporal gates and temporal laws to allow dynamic analysis of temporal fault trees (TFTs). It can be easily integrated in model-based design and analysis techniques. The quantitative evaluation of failure probability in Pandora TFTs is performed using exact probabilistic data about component failures. However, exact data can often be difficult to obtain. In this paper, we propose a method that combines expert elicitation and fuzzy set theory with Pandora TFTs to enable dynamic analysis of complex systems with limited or absent exact quantitative data. This gives Pandora the ability to perform quantitative analysis under uncertainty, which increases further its potential utility in the emerging field of model-based design and dependability analysis. The method has been demonstrated by applying it to a fault tolerant fuel distribution system of a ship, and the results are compared with the results obtained by other existing techniques.     

Dynamic style analysis of Spanish balanced pension plans: A Bayesian approach

This paper is focused on the dynamic allocations of Spanish balanced pension plans that invest predominantly in Euro‐zone equities. Applying a Bayesian method to a return‐based style analysis that includes the constraints of the strong version and time‐varying exposures, we provide evidence for no statistically significant changes over time in the main strategic asset allocations, namely, equity assets, long‐term debt and cash allocations. However, we find time‐varying selection abilities, indicating that the value added by managers is not the same over time. Although the investment style tends to be constant in each pension plan, these allocations are variable across plans which allow us to find different subsets of portfolios that present different mean returns and volatilities. Some pension plan features, such as size and type of financial institution that manages the portfolio, have been considered in trying to find concurrent characteristics in each subset. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Approximate inference in Bayesian networks using binary probability trees

The present paper introduces a new kind of representation for the potentials in a Bayesian network: Binary Probability Trees. They enable the representation of context-specific independences in more detail than probability trees. This enhanced capability leads to more efficient inference algorithms for some types of Bayesian networks. This paper explains the procedure for building a binary probability tree from a given potential, which is similar to the one employed for building standard probability trees. It also offers a way of pruning a binary tree in order to reduce its size. This allows us to obtain exact or approximate results in inference depending on an input threshold. This paper also provides detailed algorithms for performing the basic operations on potentials (restriction, combination and marginalization) directly to binary trees. Finally, some experiments are described where binary trees are used with the variable elimination algorithm to compare the performance with that obtained for standard probability trees.     

Dynamic effects in inefficiency: Evidence from the Colombian banking sector

Firms face a continuous process of technological and environmental changes that requires them to make managerial decisions in a dynamic context. However, costs and constraints prevent firms from making instant adjustments towards optimal conditions and may cause inefficiency to persist in time. We propose a dynamic inefficiency specification that captures differences in the adjustment costs among firms and non-persistent effects of inefficiency heterogeneity. The model is fitted to a ten year sample of Colombian banks. The new specification improves model fit and have effects on efficiency estimations. Overall, Colombian banks present high inefficiency persistence but important differences between institutions are found. In particular, merged banks present low adjustment costs that allow them to recover rapidly efficiency losses derived from merging processes.     

基于贝叶斯网络的供应链风险模糊综合评判

由于导致供应链失效的风险因素具有模糊性、复杂性,增加了供应链风险分析难度,一般的风险分析方法不能很好地评判供应链风险.文章提出了基于贝叶斯网络的供应链风险模糊综合评判方法,以某企业供应链风险为例,通过构建供应链失效风险的贝叶斯网络对风险事件发生概率进行线性推理,再采用模糊综合评判方法求出供应链风险中主要风险事件及总风险事件的风险等级,为该企业及早调控供应链提供依据.本评判方法可为企业供应链风险及其他类似风险的预防和控制提供参考依据.     

Minimum spanning trees in networks with varying edge weights

This paper considers the problem of determining minimum spanning trees in networks in which each edge weight can assume a finite number of distinct values. We use the algebraic structure of an underlying Hasse diagram to describe the relationship between different edge-weight realizations of the network, yielding new results on how MSTs change under multiple edge-weight perturbations. We investigate various implementation strategies for updating MSTs in this manner. Computational results are provided for some challenging test networks.     

失效率的综合E-Bayes估计

该文提出了可靠性参数的一种新估计方法综合E-Bayes估计法.在无失效数据情形下给出了失效率的E-Bayes估计的定义,并给出了失效率的E-Bayes估计。在引进失效信息后，给出了失效率的E-Bayes估计，并在此基础上给出了失效率和其它参数的综合E-Bayes估计。最后，结合实际问题进行计算，结果表明该文提出的方法可行且便于应用。     

Bayesian estimation of regression parameters in elliptical measurement error models

The main object of this paper is to discuss the Bayes estimation of the regression coefficients in the elliptically distributed simple regression model with measurement errors. The posterior distribution for the line parameters is obtained in a closed form, considering the following: the ratio of the error variances is known, informative prior distribution for the error variance, and non-informative prior distributions for the regression coefficients and for the incidental parameters. We proved that the posterior distribution of the regression coefficients has at most two real modes. Situations with a single mode are more likely than those with two modes, especially in large samples. The precision of the modal estimators is studied by deriving the Hessian matrix, which although complicated can be computed numerically. The posterior mean is estimated by using the Gibbs sampling algorithm and approximations by normal distributions. The results are applied to a real data set and connections with results in the literature are reported.     

Gibbs Sampler方法在考生写作能力的贝叶斯估计中的应用

本文将同族ＴＥＳＴ模型（Ｊｏｒｅｓｋｏｇ，１９７１）一般化之后作为作文考试数据的模型，并应用ＧｉｂｂｓＳａｍｐｌｅｒ方法对考生的作文能力进行贝叶斯估计。通过具体实例分析，说明了这种方法的估计是合理的，得到的结果是有效的。     

E-Bayesian estimation of the reliability derived from Binomial distribution

This paper introduces a new parameter estimation method, named E-Bayesian estimation method, to estimate reliability derived from Binomial distribution. The definition of E-Bayesian estimation of the reliability is proposed, the formulas of E-Bayesian estimation and hierarchical Bayesian estimation of the reliability are also provided. Finally, it is shown, through a numerical example, that the new method is much simpler than hierarchical Bayesian estimation in practice.     

Relevance of the Bayesian paradigm for “applied probabilists”

This paper is based on an invited lecture given by the author at the ORSA/TIMS Special Interest Group on Applied Probability Conference onStatistical and Computational Problems in Probability Modeling, held at Williamsburg, Virginia, January 7–9, 1985.The theme of this paper is twofold. First, that members of the above group should be seriously concerned with issues of statistical inference — they should not stop short upon proposing a probability model. Second, that inference be undertaken via a strict adherence to the rules of probability — the Bayesian paradigm. To underscore a need for emphasizing the first theme, it may be pertinent to note that an overwhelming majority of the papers dealing with statistical and inferential issues that were presented at this conference were authored by members who did not claim to belong to the ORSA/TIMS Special Interest Group on Applied Probability.The lecture was followed by a panel discussion, with Drs. Lyle Broemeling and Edward Wegman of the Office of Naval Research as discussants. Dr. Robert Launer of the Army Research Office served as a moderator. Discussions from the floor included comments by Professors D. Harrington of Harvard University, E. Parzen of Texas A & M University, and R. Smith of Imperial College, London, England. This paper, and the comments of the panelists, are published in this volume of theAnnals of Operations Research, which is going to serve as a Proceedings of the Conference.Supported by Contract No. N00014-85-K-0202, Office of Naval Research, and Grant No. DAAG 29-84-K-0160, Army Research Office.     

中国经济随机前沿模型效率的贝叶斯统计推断

基于扩展的随机生产前沿模型,研究了区域生产效率的差异和其影响因素的作用效果,应用贝叶斯统计方法对中国各省份2010-2017的年度数据(不包含港澳台地区,下同)进行了实证研究.研究发现:生产效率总体呈逐渐下降的趋势,地区间生产效率有一定的差异,高等教育规模对生产效率具有显著的直接影响.人力资本能有效促进东部和中部地区的经济增长,西部地区主要依靠资本促进经济增长.环境污染对中部地区的经济增长具有一定的负向作用.     

Bayesian Analysis of Abandonment in Call Center Operations

In this paper, we consider the modeling and the inference of abandonment behavior in call centers. We present several time to event modeling strategies, develop Bayesian inference for posterior and predictive analyses, and discuss implications on call center staffing. Different family of distributions, piecewise time to abandonment models, and mixture models are introduced, and their posterior analysis with censored abandonment data is carried out using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. We illustrate the implementation of the proposed models using real call center data, present additional insights that can be obtained from the Bayesian analysis, and discuss implications for different customer profiles. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A semiparametric Bayesian generalized linear mixed model for the reliability of Kevlar fibers

We analyze the reliability of NASA composite pressure vessels by using a new Bayesian semiparametric model. The data set consists of lifetimes of pressure vessels, wrapped with a Kevlar fiber, grouped by spool, subject to different stress levels; 10% of the data are right censored. The model that we consider is a regression on the log‐scale for the lifetimes, with fixed (stress) and random (spool) effects. The prior of the spool parameters is nonparametric, namely they are a sample from a normalized generalized gamma process, which encompasses the well‐known Dirichlet process. The nonparametric prior is assumed to robustify inferences to misspecification of the parametric prior. Here, this choice of likelihood and prior yields a new Bayesian model in reliability analysis. Via a Bayesian hierarchical approach, it is easy to analyze the reliability of the Kevlar fiber by predicting quantiles of the failure time when a new spool is selected at random from the population of spools. Moreover, for comparative purposes, we review the most interesting frequentist and Bayesian models analyzing this data set. Our credibility intervals of the quantiles of interest for a new random spool are narrower than those derived by previous Bayesian parametric literature, although the predictive goodness‐of‐fit performances are similar. Finally, as an original feature of our model, by means of the discreteness of the random‐effects distribution, we are able to cluster the spools into three different groups. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating the population utility function: A parametric Bayesian approach

In this paper we consider the health utility index mark II for quantifying and describing a population’s health related quality of life over health states composed of multiple attributes. This measure can be used for various purposes such as evaluating the severity of the effect of a disease or comparing different treatment methods. We present a Bayesian framework for population utility estimation and health policy evaluation by introducing a probabilistic interpretation of the multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) used in health economics. In doing so, our approach combines ideas from the MAUT and Bayesian statistics and provides an alternative method of modeling preferences and utility estimation.     

Bayesian Inversion of Piecewise Affine Operators in a Gaussian Framework

Piecewise affine inverse problems form a general class of nonlinear inverse problems. In particular inverse problems obeying certain variational structures, such as Fermat's principle in travel time tomography, are of this type. In a piecewise affine inverse problem a parameter is to be reconstructed when its mapping through a piecewise affine operator is observed, possibly with errors. A piecewise affine operator is defined by partitioning the parameter space and assigning a specific affine operator to each part. A Bayesian approach with a Gaussian random field prior on the parameter space is used. Both problems with a discrete finite partition and a continuous partition of the parameter space are considered.

The main result is that the posterior distribution is decomposed into a mixture of truncated Gaussian distributions, and the expression for the mixing distribution is partially analytically tractable. The general framework has, to the authors' knowledge, not previously been published, although the result for the finite partition is generally known.

Inverse problems are currently of large interest in many fields. The Bayesian approach is popular and most often highly computer intensive. The posterior distribution is frequently concentrated close to high-dimensional nonlinear spaces, resulting in slow mixing for generic sampling algorithms. Inverse problems are, however, often highly structured. In order to develop efficient sampling algorithms for a problem at hand, the problem structure must be exploited.

The decomposition of the posterior distribution that is derived in the current work can be used to develop specialized sampling algorithms. The article contains examples of such sampling algorithms. The proposed algorithms are applicable also for problems with exact observations. This is a case for which generic sampling algorithms tend to fail.