Kernel estimation in high-energy physics

Kernel estimation provides an unbinned and non-parametric estimate of the probability density function from which a set of data is drawn. In the first section, after a brief discussion on parametric and non-parametric methods, the theory of kernel estimation is developed for univariate and multivariate settings. The second section discusses some of the applications of kernel estimation to high-energy physics. The third section provides an overview of the available univariate and multivariate packages. This paper concludes with a discussion of the inherent advantages of kernel estimation techniques and systematic errors associated with the estimation of parent distributions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.