Abstract. Statistical methods for estimation of physical parameters from observations are discussed. Different from conventional deterministic methods, statistical methods for measurement of parameters use a mathematical model of the observations that includes statistical errors. Advantages of statistically modelling the observations are discussed. In the first place statistical models of the observations offer the possibility to analyse statistically the precision and systematic error of parameter measurement methods. Furthermore, parameter measurement problems can be reformulated as statistical parameter estimation problems.

Print publication: Issue 8 (August 1977)