Search results for "optimization"
showing 10 items of 2824 documents
Differential geometric least angle regression: a differential geometric approach to sparse generalized linear models
2013
Summary Sparsity is an essential feature of many contemporary data problems. Remote sensing, various forms of automated screening and other high throughput measurement devices collect a large amount of information, typically about few independent statistical subjects or units. In certain cases it is reasonable to assume that the underlying process generating the data is itself sparse, in the sense that only a few of the measured variables are involved in the process. We propose an explicit method of monotonically decreasing sparsity for outcomes that can be modelled by an exponential family. In our approach we generalize the equiangular condition in a generalized linear model. Although the …
A differential-geometric approach to generalized linear models with grouped predictors
2016
We propose an extension of the differential-geometric least angle regression method to perform sparse group inference in a generalized linear model. An efficient algorithm is proposed to compute the solution curve. The proposed group differential-geometric least angle regression method has important properties that distinguish it from the group lasso. First, its solution curve is based on the invariance properties of a generalized linear model. Second, it adds groups of variables based on a group equiangularity condition, which is shown to be related to score statistics. An adaptive version, which includes weights based on the Kullback-Leibler divergence, improves its variable selection fea…
Efficient spatial designs using Hausdorff distances and Bayesian optimization
2021
An iterative Bayesian optimisation technique is presented to find spatial designs of data that carry much information. We use the decision theoretic notion of value of information as the design criterion. Gaussian process surrogate models enable fast calculations of expected improvement for a large number of designs, while the full-scale value of information evaluations are only done for the most promising designs. The Hausdorff distance is used to model the similarity between designs in the surrogate Gaussian process covariance representation, and this allows the suggested algorithm to learn across different designs. We study properties of the Bayesian optimisation design algorithm in a sy…
PROBABILISTIC QUANTIFICATION OF HAZARDS: A METHODOLOGY USING SMALL ENSEMBLES OF PHYSICS-BASED SIMULATIONS AND STATISTICAL SURROGATES
2015
This paper presents a novel approach to assessing the hazard threat to a locale due to a large volcanic avalanche. The methodology combines: (i) mathematical modeling of volcanic mass flows; (ii) field data of avalanche frequency, volume, and runout; (iii) large-scale numerical simulations of flow events; (iv) use of statistical methods to minimize computational costs, and to capture unlikely events; (v) calculation of the probability of a catastrophic flow event over the next T years at a location of interest; and (vi) innovative computational methodology to implement these methods. This unified presentation collects elements that have been separately developed, and incorporates new contri…
Updating input–output matrices: assessing alternatives through simulation
2009
A problem that frequently arises in economics, demography, statistics, transportation planning and stochastic modelling is how to adjust the entries of a matrix to fulfil row and column aggregation constraints. Biproportional methods in general and the so-called RAS algorithm in particular, have been used for decades to find solutions to this type of problem. Although alternatives exist, the RAS algorithm and its extensions are still the most popular. Apart from some interesting empirical and theoretical properties, tradition, simplicity and very low computational costs are among the reasons behind the great success of RAS. Nowadays computer hardware and software have made alternative proce…
Componentwise adaptation for high dimensional MCMC
2005
We introduce a new adaptive MCMC algorithm, based on the traditional single component Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and on our earlier adaptive Metropolis algorithm (AM). In the new algorithm the adaption is performed component by component. The chain is no more Markovian, but it remains ergodic. The algorithm is demonstrated to work well in varying test cases up to 1000 dimensions.
Including covariates in a space-time point process with application to seismicity
2020
AbstractThe paper proposes a spatio-temporal process that improves the assessment of events in space and time, considering a contagion model (branching process) within a regression-like framework to take covariates into account. The proposed approach develops the forward likelihood for prediction method for estimating the ETAS model, including covariates in the model specification of the epidemic component. A simulation study is carried out for analysing the misspecification model effect under several scenarios. Also an application to the Italian seismic catalogue is reported, together with the reference to the developed R package.
Elasticity function of a discrete random variable and its properties
2017
ABSTRACTElasticity (or elasticity function) is a new concept that allows us to characterize the probability distribution of any random variable in the same way as characteristic functions and hazard and reverse hazard functions do. Initially defined for continuous variables, it was necessary to extend the definition of elasticity and study its properties in the case of discrete variables. A first attempt to define discrete elasticity is seen in Veres-Ferrer and Pavia (2014a). This paper develops this definition and makes a comparative study of its properties, relating them to the properties shown by discrete hazard and reverse hazard, as both defined in Chechile (2011). Similar to continuou…
Criteria for Bayesian model choice with application to variable selection
2012
In objective Bayesian model selection, no single criterion has emerged as dominant in defining objective prior distributions. Indeed, many criteria have been separately proposed and utilized to propose differing prior choices. We first formalize the most general and compelling of the various criteria that have been suggested, together with a new criterion. We then illustrate the potential of these criteria in determining objective model selection priors by considering their application to the problem of variable selection in normal linear models. This results in a new model selection objective prior with a number of compelling properties.
Exponential and bayesian conjugate families: Review and extensions
1997
The notion of a conjugate family of distributions plays a very important role in the Bayesian approach to parametric inference. One of the main features of such a family is that it is closed under sampling, but a conjugate family often provides prior distributions which are tractable in various other respects. This paper is concerned with the properties of conjugate families for exponential family models. Special attention is given to the class of natural exponential families having a quadratic variance function, for which the theory is particularly fruitful. Several classes of conjugate families have been considered in the literature and here we describe some of their most interesting feat…