Description: This paper presents the general notion of a periodogram, following Elphinstone's approach. The paper then goes on to examine symmetric linear operators and their periodograms in preparation for the end discussion of periodograms of graduators.

Description: Discusses the Canadian Institute of Actuaries' disability morbidity study to update the 1964 CDT and explains the techniques used to interpolate incidence rates from the 1964 CDT.

Description: This research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [NSERC] Discovery Grant 36860–06. Loss reserving is one of the most challenging tasks facing actuaries. Numerous approaches have been developed to give reasonable estimates. Generalized linear models [GLMs] are becoming quickly popular statistical analysis methods to estimate loss reserves. However, most of these models are aggregate reserving methods based on loss development triangles, without using information with regard to the actual claims processes. This paper establishes a more sophisticated structural reserving method incorporating more detailed information, such as the premium exposure emergence pattern, the loss emergence pattern and the loss development pattern, within the framework of GLMs.

Description: This paper presents an unbiased, consistent and asymptotically efficient estimator based on importance sampling variance reduction technique in the framework of Monte Carlo simulation methods. It shows that the estimator is highly efficient in terms of number of computations. Using the Pollaczeck-Khinchine formula, the authors extend the use of the estimator to the calculation of ultimate ruin probabilities in the context of the Classical case of Risk Theory and compare their results with recent actuarial literature using the same methodology.

Description: This paper presents a few formulaic examples displaying the advantages of geometric methods over arithmetic methods and provides some theorems proving the increased accuracy geometric methods can provide for interpolation or extrapolation

Description: It is well accepted that, for ages 30 and above, human mortality rates increase with age, yet no established graduation method makes direct use of this knowledge. Such a method is offered in this paper.

Description: This paper by John Mereu describes a method for mathematically computing the expected loss under a group life contract in excess of a stated limit. The paper also shows how to compute the variance and standard deviation of the stop-loss claim and suggests how the method can be extended to group insurance benefits where the claim amount per certificate is not fixed. Paper is followed by discussions from several people

Description: Recognizing an opportunity to help serve its members in this age of increased financial oversight, the Health Section of the Society of Actuaries commissioned a series of guides on the use of statistical techniques specifically geared for the work of health actuaries. The first guide in the series titled, 'Statistical Methods for Health Actuaries - IBNR Estimates: An Introduction,' is about the calculation of incurred but not reported [IBNR] health claims reserves. In particular, the guide focuses on the development of confidence intervals around IBNR estimates. This is an Excel workbook created to demonstrate the techniques discussed in the guide.

Description: The Cauchy integral formula is applied to derive various results on divided differences.

Description: This is a discussion of the paper, Frequency Distribution of Mortality Costs by John M. Boermeester, which used a series of random numbers to estimate variables under study.