Lectures by S.S. Wilks on the theory of statistical inference

the long version

The book "The Theory of Statistical Inference" by S.S. Wilks, is a set of lecture notes from Princeton University. It systematically develops essential ideas in statistical inference, covering topics such as probability, sampling theory, estimation of population parameters, fiducial inference, and hypothesis testing. Wilks' approach is grounded in the frequentist school of thought, emphasizing the deduction of ordinary probability laws and their relationship to statistical populations. The thoroughness of the notes, particularly in sampling theory and the method of maximum likelihood are praiseworthy, but also some points, like the biased nature of maximum likelihood estimates, could be more explicitly discussed. Overall, the work is deemed a significant contribution to advanced statistical theory, beneficial for graduate students and researchers.