Abstract
We show how to construct the best prior for a Maximum Entropy procedure when two or more priors are conceivable or are proposed. The prior is a weighed sum of the conceivable priors with weights that depend exponentially on the overlap of the prior with the exponential part of the maximum entropy probability. With additional information, one can iteratively improve the prior and sharpen the choice between alternative priors. Our construction can be used to predict in some physical cases the probability distribution functions, and to make quantitative decisions in the presence of conflicting expert opinions.
Work Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, BES-Materials Sciences, under contract W-31-109-ENG-38.
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© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Rivier, N., Englman, R., Levine, R.D. (1990). Constructing Priors in Maximum Entropy Methods. In: Fougère, P.F. (eds) Maximum Entropy and Bayesian Methods. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0683-9_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0683-9_13
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