Statistical Combination of Several Important Standard Model Higgs Boson Search Channels.

In this note we describe statistical procedures for combination of results from independent searches for the Higgs boson. Here only the Standard Model Higgs is considered, although the methods can easily be extended to non-standard Higgs models as well as to other searches. The methods are applied to Monte Carlo studies of four important search channels: H to tau+ tau-, H to W+ W- to e-nu mu-nu, H to gamma gamma, and H to ZZ)(*) to 4 leptons. The statistical treatment relies on a large sample approximation that is expected to be valid for an integrated luminosity of at least 2 fb-1 . Results are presented for the expected statistical significance of discovery and expected exclusion limits.