Robert Wedderburn (statistician)

Robert William Maclagan Wedderburn (1947–1975) was a Scottish statistician who worked at the Rothamsted Experimental Station. He was co-developer, with John Nelder, of the generalized linear model methodology,[1] and then expanded this subject to develop the idea of quasi-likelihood.[2]

Wedderburn was born in Edinburgh, where he attended Fettes College, then studied for a degree and a diploma in statistics at the University of Cambridge.[3] He died aged 28 of anaphylactic shock from an insect bite while on a canal holiday.[4]

"His colleagues remember him as someone of engaging diffidence, who would nonetheless hold his own in argument when he was sure he was right (as he usually was)." — John Nelder[3]

References

  1. ↑ Nelder, John A; Wedderburn, Robert W (1972). "Generalized linear models". Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A. Royal Statistical Society. 135 (3): 370–384. doi:10.2307/2344614. JSTOR 2344614.
  2. ↑ Wedderburn, RWM (1974). "Quasi-likelihood functions, generalized linear models, and the Gauss—Newton method". Biometrika. 61 (3): 439–447. doi:10.1093/biomet/61.3.439.
  3. 1 2 Nelder, J.A. (1975). "Robert William MacLagan Wedderburn, 1947–1975". Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A. Royal Statistical Society. 138 (4): 587. JSTOR 2345239.
  4. ↑ Senn, Stephen (2003). "A conversation with John Nelder". Statistical Science. 18 (1): 118–131. doi:10.1214/ss/1056397489.
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