The Bootstrap and Edgeworth Expansion

Book excerpt: This monograph addresses two quite different topics, each being able to shed light on the other. Firstly, it lays the foundation for a particular view of the bootstrap. Secondly, it gives an account of Edgeworth expansion. The first two chapters deal with the bootstrap and Edgeworth expansion respectively, while chapters 3 and 4 bring these two themes together, using Edgeworth expansion to explore and develop the properties of the bootstrap. The book is aimed at graduate level for those with some exposure to the methods of theoretical statistics. However, technical details are delayed until the last chapter such that mathematically able readers without knowledge of the rigorous theory of probability will have no trouble understanding most of the book.