Lucien Le Cam

Most statisticians have had occasion to rely on asymptotic or large sample arguments. However the theory underlying even fairly common and practical assertions is scattered in a multitude of papers and journals, confronting the user with a bewildering maze of claims or counterclaims with no visible warp or woof. Some years ago this apparent chaos forced itself upon the attention of the present author, who, out of pedagogical necessity, attempted to extract some logical threads from the tangle.

After some searching, it was found that one could indeed organize a part, and perhaps a sizeable part of the theory around a framework built of very few essential elements. At that point it seemed appropriate to write a monograph on the subject. The chosen framework lends itself to assertions which do not seem "asymptotic" and would not have been recognizable to many.

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