Vaniver’s post finally convinced me to get off my ass and take a look at the book—mainly because of the mention of the controversy with econometricians (I’m a Stat/Econ joint Ph.D. student… so it caught my eye). I’ve glanced through the first few chapters of the first edition (the digitial copy linked above) and through chapter 5 of the second edition (yay libraries!).
I’d recommend at least having taken a course in probability & mathematical statistics—this course might be called different things in different places, but it’s essentially a course in probability theory that uses some multivariate calculus, and might go on to a more rigorous introduction to statistics (that might be a second semester course). I’m not sure how much of the calculus is necessary for Pearl, but the more rigorous treatment of probability theory will be helpful in addition to being accustomed to a higher level of rigor in general. Unless you’re a savant of course, then you might be fine anyway.
Vaniver’s post finally convinced me to get off my ass and take a look at the book—mainly because of the mention of the controversy with econometricians (I’m a Stat/Econ joint Ph.D. student… so it caught my eye). I’ve glanced through the first few chapters of the first edition (the digitial copy linked above) and through chapter 5 of the second edition (yay libraries!).
I’d recommend at least having taken a course in probability & mathematical statistics—this course might be called different things in different places, but it’s essentially a course in probability theory that uses some multivariate calculus, and might go on to a more rigorous introduction to statistics (that might be a second semester course). I’m not sure how much of the calculus is necessary for Pearl, but the more rigorous treatment of probability theory will be helpful in addition to being accustomed to a higher level of rigor in general. Unless you’re a savant of course, then you might be fine anyway.