Customer Reviews

Detection of Signals in Noise, Second Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is perhaps the best book available for advanced detection theory. The probabalistic underpinnings are discussed at length. A lot of the other reviews complain about the mathematical difficulty of this text; however, it is an advanced text. Not all texts are required to be accessible to beginners in the subject. If you want to become an expert in detection theory, this is the next step after your introductory course(s). To really get there, you need to have experience in the applications as well.

If you don't have some background in detection theory or at least hypothesis testing, then in my estimation this is probably not the book for you. On the other hand if the myriad texts available are beginning to appear to be a little bit weak on the probability/statistics analysis of signals, then this is the book for you.

As far as I am concerned this is simply the best book for advanced detection theory. Notice the word "advanced", this book is not for the beginner. It is an updated version of Whalen's first edition, which I have kept close at hand for most of my career. Whereas most texts available are weak on the statistical analysis of signals, this book is strong. I would be surprised if anyone who considered himself an expert on detection theory did not have a copy. If it has a weakness it is in showing the direct connections to applications.

A Moby Dickian tour de force through the noise that is Mother Nature! If you want to understand signal detection and solve real-world problems, this is the book to buy.

Excellent introduction to signal detection theory, by someone who has practical experience as well as a clear writing style. Whalen knows you can't fool Mother Nature!

This book is adequate for reference, but if you plan on learning anything, this is not the book for you. Typos and the overuse of the same symbols to mean everything create an unfriendly environment for the reader. The book goes into unnecessary derivations and presents the material in a backward order that confuses the reader. In summary: Let H0 be the author's intended message to the reader. Let N be the organization and writing style of the book. Let D0 be the reader's proper interpretation of the author's message. The reader's interpretation is then I = H0+N. Then P(D0|I)<0.25

This book is written with so much hand-waving that a reader attempting to learn the subject must spend all of their time trying to figure out what the mathematics are that lead to the GOD given answers that Robby N. McDontKnow supplies us with. That last statement may have been a little harsh, but the missing mathematics combined with the frequent typos of the text provide for unequal frustration for any student attempting to learn this topic.

This book manages to describe even straight-forward concepts in a way that is simply incomprehensible. If you are learning the material, you often have to read a paragraph many times to make any sense out of it. And let's not blame it on the concepts, what it comes down to is confusing presentation and terrible use of English language.
I can't believe it has second edition.

This book will be of interest to many post-doctoral Harvard/Oxford mathematicians. However, if you are a mere mortal, don't waste your time. Rather than trying to explain concepts and educate the reader, the book obfuscates each concept with the help of endless formulas and greek symbols. Most of the readers time is spent trying to follow the "where:" and "From this and Eq. (2.3) we have:" and "Then:" interspersed with higher mathematics. Very little of the english language was used to convey any idea that may help the reader.