Nonparametric Bernstein-von Mises theorems in Gaussian white noise

Abstract

Bernstein-von Mises theorems for nonparametric Bayes priors in the Gaussian white noise model are proved. It is demonstrated how such results justify Bayes methods as efficient frequentist inference procedures in a variety of concrete nonparametric problems. Particularly Bayesian credible sets are constructed that have asymptotically exact $1-\alpha$ frequentist coverage level and whose $L^2$-diameter shrinks at the minimax rate of convergence (within logarithmic factors) over Hölder balls. Other applications include general classes of linear and nonlinear functionals and credible bands for auto-convolutions. The assumptions cover nonconjugate product priors defined on general orthonormal bases of $L^2$ satisfying weak conditions.

Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/13-AOS1133 the Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org)

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