The interaction of various ideas from different researchers provides a main impetus to mathematical prosress. An important way to make communication possible is through international conferences on more or less spezialized topics~ The existence of several centers for research in probabil ity and statistics in the eastern part of central Europe - somewhat vaguely described as the Pannonian area - led to the idea of organizing Pannonian Symposia on Mathematical Statistics (PS~1S). The second such symposium was held at Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Burgenland (Austria), from 14 to 20 June 1981. About 100 researchers from 13 countries participated in that event and about 70 papers were delivered. Most of the papers dealt with one of the following topics: nonparametric estimation theory, asymptotic theory of estimation, invariance principles, limit theorems and aoplications. Full versions of selected papers, all presenting new results are included in this volume. The editors take this opportunity to thank the following institutions for their assistance in making the conference possible: the Provincial Government of Burgenland, the Austrian Ministry for Research and Science, the Burgenland Chamber of Commerce, the Control Data Corporation, the Austrian Society for Statistics and Informatics, the Landes­ hypothekenbank Burgenland, the Volksbank Oberwart, and the Community and Kurbad AG of Bad Tatzmannsdorf. We are also greatly indebted to all those persons who helped in editing this volume and in particular to the vii W. Grossmann et al. reds.), Probability and Statistical Inference, vii-viii.

Discrete Approximation of Markovprocesses by Markovchains.- An Autoregressive Representation of ARMA Processes.- Characterization of a Type Multivariate Exponential Distributions.- Multivariate Time Series Analysis and Forecast.- Testing Approximate Validity of Hardy-Weinberg Law in Population Genetics.- On an Optimization Problem Related to Statistical Investigations.- A Construction of Extremal Processes.- Monte Carlo Investigation of Robust Methods.- Monte Carlo Methods for Solving Hyperbolic Equations.- The Compounding of the Binomial and Generalized Beta Distributions.- Empirical Bayes Estimation of Probability Density Function with Dirichlet Process Prior.- On the Asymptotic Properties of Minimum Contrast Estimates.- Contiguity in Some Nonregular Cases and its Applications.- The Notion of Asymptotically Least Favorable Configuration in Selection and Ranking Problems.- One Method of Stable Estimation of a Location Parameter.- Stochastic Integral Representation of Functionals from a Sequence of Martingales.- Comparison of Multisample Tests of Normality.- Almost Everywhere Convergence of Recursive Kernel Regression Function Estimates.- Estimation of a Multivariate Density by Orthogonal Series.- Longest Runs in Markov Chains.- Approximation and Smoothing of Surfaces in (P+1)-Dimensional Spaces.- The Comparison of Two-Unit Standby Redundant System with Two and Three States of Units.- A Probability Inequality of General Nature for the Maximum of Partial Sums.- Parametric Deviations in Linear Models.- Statistical Tests for Tausworthe Pseudo-Random Numbers.- Polynomials of Parameters in the Regression Model - Estimation and Design.- The Limiting Log-Likelihood Process for Discontinuous Multiparameter Density Families.- Two Kinds of Pooling Information in Cross-SectionalRegression Model.- Rate of Convergence for Simple Estimate in the Rejective Sampling.- Minimal Metrics in the Random Variables Space.- Robust Alternatives to the F-Fest for the Linear Model.- Orthogonal Series Estimates of a Regression Function with Applications in System Identification.- Generating Student's T Variates by a Modified Rejection Method.- Block Transmissibility and Quantization.- Invariantly Optimal Curve Estimators with Respect to Integrated Mean Error Risk.