These three volumes comprise the proceedings of the US/Japan Conference, held in honour of Professor H. Akaike, on the Frontiers of Statistical Modeling: an Informational Approach'. The major theme of the conference was the implementation of statistical modeling through an informational approach to complex, real-world problems. Volume 1 contains papers which deal with the Theory and Methodology of Time Series Analysis. Volume 1 also contains the text of the Banquet talk by E. Parzen and the keynote lecture of H. Akaike. Volume 2 is devoted to the general topic of Multivariate Statistical Modeling, and Volume 3 contains the papers relating to Engineering and Scientific Applications. For all scientists whose work involves statistics.

Often a statistical analysis involves use of a set of alternative models for the data. A "model-selection criterion" is a formula which provides a figure-of merit for the alternative models. Generally the alternative models will involve different numhers of parameters. Model-selection criteria take into account hoth the goodness-or-fit of a model and the numher of parameters used to achieve that fit. 1.1. SETS OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS Thus the focus in this paper is on data-analytic situations ill which there is consideration of a set of alternative models. Choice of a suhset of explanatory variahles in regression, the degree of a polynomial regression, the number of factors in factor analysis, or the numher of dusters in duster analysis are examples of such situations. 1.2. MODEL SELECTION VERSUS HYPOTHESIS TESTING In exploratory data analysis or in a preliminary phase of inference an approach hased on model-selection criteria can offer advantages over tests of hypotheses. The model-selection approach avoids the prohlem of specifying error rates for the tests. With model selection the focus can he on simultaneous competition between a hroad dass of competing models rather than on consideration of a sequence of simpler and simpler models."

These three volumes comprise the proceedings of the US/Japan Conference, held in honour of Professor H. Akaike, on the Frontiers of Statistical Modeling: an Informational Approach'. The major theme of the conference was the implementation of statistical modeling through an informational approach to complex, real-world problems. Volume 1 contains papers which deal with the Theory and Methodology of Time Series Analysis. Volume 1 also contains the text of the Banquet talk by E. Parzen and the keynote lecture of H. Akaike. Volume 2 is devoted to the general topic of Multivariate Statistical Modeling, and Volume 3 contains the papers relating to Engineering and Scientific Applications. For all scientists whose work involves statistics.

The pioneering research of Hirotugu Akaike has an international reputation for profoundly affecting how data and time series are analyzed and modelled and is highly regarded by the statistical and technological communities of Japan and the world. His 1974 paper "A new look at the statistical model identification" (IEEE Trans Automatic Control, AC-19, 716-723) is one of the most frequently cited papers in the area of engineering, technology, and applied sciences (according to a 1981 Citation Classic of the Institute of Scientific Information). It introduced the broad scientific community to model identification using the methods of Akaike's criterion AIC. The AIC method is cited and applied in almost every area of physical and social science. The best way to learn about the seminal ideas of pioneering researchers is to read their original papers. This book reprints 29 papers of Akaike's more than 140 papers. This book of papers by Akaike is a tribute to his outstanding career and a service to provide students and researchers with access to Akaike's innovative and influential ideas and applications. To provide a commentary on the career of Akaike, the motivations of his ideas, and his many remarkable honors and prizes, this book reprints "A Conversation with Hirotugu Akaike" by David F. Findley and Emanuel Parzen, published in 1995 in the journal Statistical Science. This survey of Akaike's career provides each of us with a role model for how to have an impact on society by stimulating applied researchers to implement new statistical methods.

Often a statistical analysis involves use of a set of alternative models for the data. A "model-selection criterion" is a formula which provides a figure-of merit for the alternative models. Generally the alternative models will involve different numhers of parameters. Model-selection criteria take into account hoth the goodness-or-fit of a model and the numher of parameters used to achieve that fit. 1.1. SETS OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS Thus the focus in this paper is on data-analytic situations ill which there is consideration of a set of alternative models. Choice of a suhset of explanatory variahles in regression, the degree of a polynomial regression, the number of factors in factor analysis, or the numher of dusters in duster analysis are examples of such situations. 1.2. MODEL SELECTION VERSUS HYPOTHESIS TESTING In exploratory data analysis or in a preliminary phase of inference an approach hased on model-selection criteria can offer advantages over tests of hypotheses. The model-selection approach avoids the prohlem of specifying error rates for the tests. With model selection the focus can he on simultaneous competition between a hroad dass of competing models rather than on consideration of a sequence of simpler and simpler models."

These three volumes comprise the proceedings of the US/Japan Conference, held in honour of Professor H. Akaike, on the Frontiers of Statistical Modeling: an Informational Approach'. The major theme of the conference was the implementation of statistical modeling through an informational approach to complex, real-world problems. Volume 1 contains papers which deal with the Theory and Methodology of Time Series Analysis. Volume 1 also contains the text of the Banquet talk by E. Parzen and the keynote lecture of H. Akaike. Volume 2 is devoted to the general topic of Multivariate Statistical Modeling, and Volume 3 contains the papers relating to Engineering and Scientific Applications. For all scientists whose work involves statistics.

These three volumes comprise the proceedings of the US/Japan Conference, held in honour of Professor H. Akaike, on the `Frontiers of Statistical Modeling: an Informational Approach'. The major theme of the conference was the implementation of statistical modeling through an informational approach to complex, real-world problems. Volume 1 contains papers which deal with the Theory and Methodology of Time Series Analysis. Volume 1 also contains the text of the Banquet talk by E. Parzen and the keynote lecture of H. Akaike. Volume 2 is devoted to the general topic of Multivariate Statistical Modeling, and Volume 3 contains the papers relating to Engineering and Scientific Applications. For all scientists whose work involves statistics.

The pioneering research of Hirotugu Akaike has an international reputation for profoundly affecting how data and time series are analyzed and modelled and is highly regarded by the statistical and technological communities of Japan and the world. His 1974 paper "A new look at the statistical model identification" (IEEE Trans Automatic Control, AC-19, 716-723) is one of the most frequently cited papers in the area of engineering, technology, and applied sciences (according to a 1981 Citation Classic of the Institute of Scientific Information). It introduced the broad scientific community to model identification using the methods of Akaike's criterion AIC. The AIC method is cited and applied in almost every area of physical and social science. The best way to learn about the seminal ideas of pioneering researchers is to read their original papers. This book reprints 29 papers of Akaike's more than 140 papers. This book of papers by Akaike is a tribute to his outstanding career and a service to provide students and researchers with access to Akaike's innovative and influential ideas and applications. To provide a commentary on the career of Akaike, the motivations of his ideas, and his many remarkable honors and prizes, this book reprints "A Conversation with Hirotugu Akaike" by David F. Findley and Emanuel Parzen, published in 1995 in the journal Statistical Science. This survey of Akaike's career provides each of us with a role model for how to have an impact on society by stimulating applied researchers to implement new statistical methods.