The past several years have seen the creation and extension of a very conclusive theory of statistics and probability. Many of the research workers who have been concerned with both probability and statistics felt the need for meetings that provide an opportunity for personal con­ tacts among scholars whose fields of specialization cover broad spectra in both statistics and probability: to discuss major open problems and new solutions, and to provide encouragement for further research through the lectures of carefully selected scholars, moreover to introduce to younger colleagues the latest research techniques and thus to stimulate their interest in research. To meet these goals, the series of Pannonian Symposia on Mathematical Statistics was organized, beginning in the year 1979: the first, second and fourth one in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Burgenland, Austria, the third and fifth in Visegrad, Hungary. The Sixth Pannonian Symposium was held in Bad Tatzmannsdorf again, in the time between 14 and 20 September 1986, under the auspices of Dr. Heinz FISCHER, Federal Minister of Science and Research, Theodor KERY, President of the State Government of Burgenland, Dr. Franz SAUERZOPF, Vice-President of the State Govern­ ment of Burgenland and Dr. Josef SCHMIDL, President of the Austrian Sta­ tistical Central Office. The members of the Honorary Committee were Pal ERDOS, WXadisXaw ORLICZ, Pal REVESz, Leopold SCHMETTERER and Istvan VINCZE; those of the Organizing Committee were Wilfried GROSSMANN (Uni­ versity of Vienna), Franz KONECNY (University of Agriculture of Vienna) and, as the chairman, Wolfgang WERTZ (Technical University of Vienna).