Summary
The relationship is investigated between probability and metrology, here intended as the science of measurement. Metrology is shown to have historically participated in the development of statistic–probabilistic disciplines, not only adopting principles and methods, but also contributing with new and influential ideas. Two mainstreams of studies are identified in the science of measurement. The former starts with the classical theory of errors and ends with the contemporary debate on uncertainty; the latter originates from the development of a formal theory of measurement and it has attained recent results that make a systematic use of probability an appropriate logic for measurement. It is suggested that these two mainstreams may ultimately converge in a unique theory of measurement, formulated in a probabilistic language and applicable to all domains of science.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bayes, T.: An essay towards solving a problem in the doctrine of chances. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London, 53, 370-418 (1763)
Laplace, P. S.: Mémoire sur la probabilité des causes par les évenemens. Mem. Acad. R Sci. , 6, 621-656 (1774)
Gauss, C. F.: Theoria motus corporum coelestium in sectionibus conicis solem ambientium. Hamburg (1809) English translation by Davis, C. H., Dover (1963) reprinted 2004
Laplace, P.S.: Theorie analytique des probabilités, Courcier, Paris, (1812) In: Oeuvres Complétes de Laplace. Gauthier-Villars, Paris, vol. VII
Gauss, C. F.: Theoria combinationis observationum erroribus minimis obnoxiae. Gottingen, (1823) English translation by Stewart, G.W., SIAM, Philadelphia (1995)
von Helmholtz, H.: Zählen und Messen Erkenntnis theoretisch betrachtet, Philosophische Aufsätze Eduard Zeller gewidmet. Fuess, Leipzig (1887)
Campbell, N. R.: Physics - The elements. (1920) Representations as Foundations of science. Dover, New York (1957)
Fisher, R. A.: Statistical methods for research workers. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburg (1925)
Ferguson, A., Myers, C. S., Bartlett, R. J.: Qualitative estimates of sensory events. Final Report – British Association for the Advancement of Science, 2, 331-349 (1940)
Stevens, S. S.: On the theory of scales and measurement. Science, 103, 667-680 (1946)
Fisher, R. A.: Statistical methods and scientific inference. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburg (1956)
Mandel, J.: The statistical analysis of experimental data. Wiley (1964) Repr. Dover (1984)
Krantz, D.H., Luce, R.D., Suppes, P., Tversky, A.: Foundations of Measurement. Vol 1–3, Academic Press, New York (1971–1990)
Sheynin, O. B.: Laplace’s theory of errors. Archive for history of exact sciences, 17, 1-61 (1977)
Sheynin, O. B.: C. F. Gauss and the theory of errors. Archive for history of exact sciences, 20, 21–72 (1979)
Roberts, F.S.: Measurement theory. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA (1979)
Falmagne, J.C.: A probabilistic theory of extensive measurement. Philosophy of Science, 47, 277–296 (1980)
Leaning M.S., Finkelstein, L.: A probabilistic treatment of measurement uncertainty in the formal theory of measurement. In: Streker, G. (ed) ACTA IMEKO 1979. Elsevier, Amsterdam (1980)
Finkelstein, L., Leaning, M.S.: A review of the fundamental concepts of measurement. Measurement, 2, 25–34 (1984)
Narens, L.: Abstract measurement theory. MIT Press, Cambridge (1985)
Gonella, L.: Measuring instruments and theory of measurement. In:Proc. XI IMEKO World Congress, Houston, (1988)
Press, S.J.: Bayesian statistics. Wiley, New York (1989)
Costantini, D., Garibaldi, U., Penco, M. A.: Introduzione alla statistica- I fondamenti dell’argomentazione incerta. Muzzio, Padova (1992)
Weise, K., Wöger, W.: A Bayesian theory of measurement uncertainty. Measurement Science and Technology, 4, 1–11 (1993)
BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, OIML: International Vocabulary of Basic and general terms in Metrology. Second Edition (1994) and current revision, Draft
BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, OIML: Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. ISO, Geneva (1995)
Michelini, R.C., Rossi, G.B.: Measurement uncertainty: a probabilistic theory for intensive entities. Measurement, 15, 143–157 (1995)
Regenwetter, M.: Random utility representations of finite m-ary relations. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 40, 219–234 (1996)
Mari, L.: Beyond the representational viewpoint: a new formalization of measurement. Measurement, 27, 71–84 (2000)
Monti, C. M., Pierobon, G.: Teoria della probabilitá. Zanichelli, Bologna (2000)
Hacking, I.: An introduction to probability and inductive logic. Cambridge Press, Cambridge (2001) Italian edition: Il Saggiatore, Milano (2005)
Regenwetter, M., Marley, A.A.J.: Random relations, random utilities, and random functions. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 45, 864–912 (2001)
Luce, R.D., Suppes, P.: Representational measurement theory. In: Stevens’ Handbook of Experimental Psychophysics. Vol. 4, Wiley, (2002)
Lira, I.: Evaluating the measurement uncertainty. IOP, Bristol (2002)
Rossi, G.B.: A probabilistic model for measurement processes. Measurement, 34, 85–99 (2003)
Costantini, D.: I fondamenti storico-filosofici delle discipline statistico probabilistiche. Bollati Boringhieri, Torino (2004)
Rossi, G.B., Crenna, F., Panero, M.: Panel or jury testing methods in a metrological perspective. Metrologia, 42, 97–109 (2005)
Rossi, G.B.: A probabilistic theory of measurement, Measurement, 39, 34–50 (2006)
Rossi G.B., Crenna F., Cox M.G., Harris P.M.: Combining direct calculation and the Monte Carlo Method for the probabilistic expression of measurement results. In: Ciarlini, P., Filipe, E., Forbes, A.B., Pavese, F., Richter, D. (eds) Advanced Mathematical and Computational Tools in Metrology VII, World Scientific, Singapore (2006)
Rossi, G.B., Crenna F.,: A probabilistic approach to measurement-based decisions. Measurement, 39, 101–119 (2006)
Rossi, G.B.: Measurability. Measurement, 40, 545–562 (2007)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Birkhäuser Boston
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rossi, G.B. (2009). Probability in Metrology. In: Pavese, F., Forbes, A. (eds) Data Modeling for Metrology and Testing in Measurement Science. Modeling and Simulation in Science, Engineering and Technology. Birkhäuser Boston. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-8176-4804-6_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-8176-4804-6_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Boston
Print ISBN: 978-0-8176-4592-2
Online ISBN: 978-0-8176-4804-6
eBook Packages: Mathematics and StatisticsMathematics and Statistics (R0)