Metrological data is known to be blurred by the imperfections of the measuring process. In retrospect, for about two centuries regular or constant errors were no focal point of experimental activities, only irregular or random error were. Today's notation of unknown systematic errors is in line with this. Confusingly enough, the worldwide practiced approach to belatedly admit those unknown systematic errors amounts to consider them as being random, too. This book discusses a new error concept dispensing with the common practice to randomize unknown systematic errors. Instead, unknown systematic errors will be treated as what they physically are- namely as constants being unknown with respect to magnitude and sign. The ideas considered in this book issue a proceeding steadily localizing the true values of the measurands and consequently traceability.

The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics Galileo Galilei, 1623 Metrology strives to supervise the ?ow of the measurand's true values throughconsecutive,arbitrarilyinterlockingseriesofmeasurements.Tohi- light this feature the term traceability has been coined. Traceability is said to be achieved, given the true values of each of the physical quantities entering and leaving the measurement are localized by speci?ed measu- ment uncertainties. The classical Gaussian error calculus is known to be con?ned to the tre- ment of random errors. Hence, there is no distinction between the true value of a measurand on the one side and the expectation of the respective es- mator on the other. This became apparent not until metrologists considered the e?ect of so-called unknown systematic errors. Unknown systematic errors are time-constant quantities unknown with respect to magnitude and sign. While random errors are treated via distribution densities, unknown syst- atic errors can only be assessed via intervals of estimated lengths. Unknown systematic errors were, in fact, addressed and discussed by Gauss himself. Gauss, however, argued that it were up to the experimenter to eliminate their causes and free the measured values from their in?uence.

This book recasts the classical Gaussian error calculus from scratch, the inducements concerning bothrandom and unknown systematic errors. The idea of this bookis to create a formalism being fit to localize the true values of physical quantities considered truewith respectto the set of predefined physical units. Remarkably enough, the prevailingly practiced forms of error calculus do not feature this property which however proves in every respect, to be physically indispensable. The amended formalism, termed Generalized Gaussian Error Calculus by the author, treats unknown systematic errors as biases and brings random errors to bear via enhanced confidence intervals as laid down by students. The significantly extended second edition thoroughly restructures and systematizes the text as a whole and illustrates the formalism by numerous numerical examples. They demonstrate the basic principles of how tounderstand uncertainties to localize the true values of measured values - a perspective decisive in view of the contested physical explorations."

This book recasts the classical Gaussian error calculus from scratch, the inducements concerning both random and unknown systematic errors. The idea of this book is to create a formalism being fit to localize the true values of physical quantities considered – true with respect to the set of predefined physical units. Remarkably enough, the prevailingly practiced forms of error calculus do not feature this property which however proves in every respect, to be physically indispensable. The amended formalism, termed Generalized Gaussian Error Calculus by the author, treats unknown systematic errors as biases and brings random errors to bear via enhanced confidence intervals as laid down by Student. The significantly extended second edition thoroughly restructures and systematizes the text as a whole and illustrates the formalism by numerous numerical examples. They demonstrate the basic principles of how to understand uncertainties to localize the true values of measured values - a perspective decisive in view of the contested physical explorations.

The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics Galileo Galilei, 1623 Metrology strives to supervise the ?ow of the measurand's true values throughconsecutive,arbitrarilyinterlockingseriesofmeasurements.Tohi- light this feature the term traceability has been coined. Traceability is said to be achieved, given the true values of each of the physical quantities entering and leaving the measurement are localized by speci?ed measu- ment uncertainties. The classical Gaussian error calculus is known to be con?ned to the tre- ment of random errors. Hence, there is no distinction between the true value of a measurand on the one side and the expectation of the respective es- mator on the other. This became apparent not until metrologists considered the e?ect of so-called unknown systematic errors. Unknown systematic errors are time-constant quantities unknown with respect to magnitude and sign. While random errors are treated via distribution densities, unknown syst- atic errors can only be assessed via intervals of estimated lengths. Unknown systematic errors were, in fact, addressed and discussed by Gauss himself. Gauss, however, argued that it were up to the experimenter to eliminate their causes and free the measured values from their in?uence.

In this book, Grabe illustrates the breakdown of traditional error calculus in the face of modern measurement techniques. Revising Gauss error calculus ab initio, he treats random and unknown systematic errors on an equal footing from the outset. Furthermore, Grabe also proposes what may be called well defined measuring conditions, a prerequisite for defining confidence intervals that are consistent with basic statistical concepts. The resulting measurement uncertainties are as robust and reliable as required by modern-day science, engineering and technology."

Die Generalisierte Gauss'sche Fehlerrechnung interpretiert systematische Fehler bei Messungen als Unterschiede zwischen den Erwartungswerten der Schatzer und den wahren Werten der Messgroessen. Auch hinsichtlich der Verarbeitung zufalliger Fehler weicht der Autor von der Konvention ab, indem er den Formalismus auf die Verteilungsdichte der empirischen Momente zweiter Ordnung stutzt. Die Messunsicherheiten der Generalisierten Gauss'schen Fehlerrechnung zeigen robuste Strukturen, die die wahren Werte physikalischer Groessen "quasi-sicher" lokalisieren.

Metrological data is known to be blurred by the imperfections of the measuring process. In retrospect, for about two centuries regular or constant errors were no focal point of experimental activities, only irregular or random error were. Today's notation of unknown systematic errors is in line with this. Confusingly enough, the worldwide practiced approach to belatedly admit those unknown systematic errors amounts to consider them as being random, too. This book discusses a new error concept dispensing with the common practice to randomize unknown systematic errors. Instead, unknown systematic errors will be treated as what they physically are- namely as constants being unknown with respect to magnitude and sign. The ideas considered in this book issue a proceeding steadily localizing the true values of the measurands and consequently traceability.