Thompson E A
Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Biometrics. 1990 Dec;46(4):905-14.
R. A. Fisher (1890-1962) was a professor of genetics, and many of his statistical innovations found expression in the development of methodology in statistical genetics. However, whereas his contributions in mathematical statistics are easily identified, in population genetics he shares his preeminence with Sewall Wright (1889-1988) and J. B. S. Haldane (1892-1965). This paper traces some of Fisher's major contributions to the foundations of statistical genetics, and his interactions with Wright and with Haldane which contributed to the development of the subject. With modern technology, both statistical methodology and genetic data are changing. Nonetheless much of Fisher's work remains relevant, and may even serve as a foundation for future research in the statistical analysis of DNA data. For Fisher's work reflects his view of the role of statistics in scientific inference, expressed in 1949: There is no wide or urgent demand for people who will define methods of proof in set theory in the name of improving mathematical statistics. There is a widespread and urgent demand for mathematicians who understand that branch of mathematics known as theoretical statistics, but who are capable also of recognising situations in the real world to which such mathematics is applicable. In recognising features of the real world to which his models and analyses should be applicable, Fisher laid a lasting foundation for statistical inference in genetic analyses.
罗纳德·艾尔默·费希尔（1890 - 1962）是一位遗传学教授，他的许多统计学创新成果都体现在统计遗传学方法学的发展中。然而，虽然他在数理统计学方面的贡献很容易被识别，但在群体遗传学领域，他与休厄尔·赖特（1889 - 1988）和J. B. S. 霍尔丹（1892 - 1965）齐名。本文追溯了费希尔对统计遗传学基础的一些主要贡献，以及他与赖特和霍尔丹的互动，这些互动推动了该学科的发展。随着现代技术的发展，统计方法和遗传数据都在不断变化。尽管如此，费希尔的许多工作仍然具有相关性，甚至可能为未来DNA数据统计分析的研究奠定基础。因为费希尔的工作反映了他在1949年所表达的关于统计学在科学推理中作用的观点：对于那些以改进数理统计学为名定义集合论证明方法的人，并没有广泛或迫切的需求。对于那些理解被称为理论统计学的数学分支，但也能够识别现实世界中适用此类数学的情况的数学家，却存在广泛而迫切的需求。在认识到他的模型和分析应适用的现实世界特征时，费希尔为遗传分析中的统计推断奠定了持久的基础。
