Cosmological parameter estimation: methods

CMB anisotropy data could put powerful constraints on theories of the evolution of our Universe. Using the observations of the large number of CMB experiments, many studies have put constraints on cosmological parameters assuming different frameworks. Assuming for example inflationary paradigm, one can compute the confidence intervals on the different components of the energy densities, or the age of the Universe, inferred by the current set of CMB observations. The aim of this Note is to present some of the available methods to derive the cosmological parameters with their confidence intervals from the CMB data, as well as some practical issues to investigate large number of parameters. (C) 2003 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.