Sampling Truncated Normal, Beta, and Gamma Densities

Abstract

We consider the Bayesian analysis of constrained parameter and truncated data problems within a Gibbs sampling framework and concentrate on sampling truncated densities that arise as full conditional densities within the context of the Gibbs sampler. In particular, we restrict attention to the normal, beta, and gamma densities. We demonstrate that, in many instances, it is possible to introduce a latent variable which facilitates an easy solution to the problem. We also discuss a novel approach to sampling truncated densities via a “black-box” algorithm, based on the latent variable idea, valid outside of the context of a Gibbs sampler.