We consider a partially linear framework for modelling massive heterogeneous data. The major goal is to extract common features across all sub-populations while exploring heterogeneity of each sub-population. In particular, we propose an aggregation type estimator for the commonality parameter that possesses the (non-asymptotic) minimax optimal bound and asymptotic distribution as if there were no heterogeneity. This oracular result holds when the number of sub-populations…
A statistical functional, such as the mean or the median, is called elicitable if there is a scoring function or loss function such that the correct forecast of the functional is the unique minimizer of the expected score. Such scoring functions are called strictly consistent for the functional. The elicitability of a functional opens the possibility to compare competing forecasts and to rank them in terms of their realized scores. In this paper, we explore the notion of…
We consider the random-design least-squares regression problem within the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) framework. Given a stream of independent and identically distributed input/output data, we aim to learn a regression function within an RKHS $\mathcal{H}$, even if the optimal predictor (i.e., the conditional expectation) is not in $\mathcal{H}$. In a stochastic approximation framework where the estimator is updated after each observation, we show that the…
In this paper, we investigate frailty models for clustered survival data that are subject to both left- and right-censoring, termed "doubly-censored data". This model extends current survival literature by broadening the application of frailty models from right-censoring to a more complicated situation with additional left censoring. Our approach is motivated by a recent Hepatitis B study where the sample consists of families. We adopt a likelihood approach that aims at the…
This paper provides a rigorous study of the nonparametric estimation of filaments or ridge lines of a probability density $f$. Points on the filament are considered as local extrema of the density when traversing the support of $f$ along the integral curve driven by the vector field of second eigenvectors of the Hessian of $f$. We “parametrize” points on the filaments by such integral curves, and thus both the estimation of integral curves and of filaments will be considered…
Single index models offer greater flexibility in data analysis than linear models but retain some of the desirable properties such as the interpretability of the coefficients. We consider a pseudo-profile likelihood approach to estimation and testing for single-index quantile regression models. We establish the asymptotic normality of the index coefficient estimator as well as the optimal convergence rate of the nonparametric function estimation. Moreover, we propose a score…
Panel data analysis is an important topic in statistics and econometrics. In such analysis, it is very common to assume the impact of a covariate on the response variable remains constant across all individuals. While the modelling based on this assumption is reasonable when only the global effect is of interest, in general, it may overlook some individual/subgroup attributes of the true covariate impact. In this paper, we propose a data driven approach to identify the…
Guillaume Carlier · Victor Chernozhukov · Alfred Galichon·刊期 2016-06-01 · 卷 44(3)·The Annals of Statistics已编入正刊
向量分位数回归:最优传输方法AI 解读
We propose a notion of conditional vector quantile function and a vector quantile regression. A conditional vector quantile function (CVQF) of a random vector $Y$, taking values in $\mathbb{R}^{d}$ given covariates $Z=z$, taking values in $\mathbb{R}^{k}$, is a map $u\longmapsto Q_{Y|Z}(u,z)$, which is monotone, in the sense of being a gradient of a convex function, and such that given that vector $U$ follows a reference non-atomic distribution $F_{U}$, for instance uniform…
We consider the optimal design problem for a comparison of two regression curves, which is used to establish the similarity between the dose response relationships of two groups. An optimal pair of designs minimizes the width of the confidence band for the difference between the two regression functions. Optimal design theory (equivalence theorems, efficiency bounds) is developed for this non-standard design problem and for some commonly used dose response models optimal…
In the setting of nonparametric multivariate regression with unknown error variance $\sigma^{2}$, we study asymptotic properties of a Bayesian method for estimating a regression function $f$ and its mixed partial derivatives. We use a random series of tensor product of B-splines with normal basis coefficients as a prior for $f$, and $\sigma$ is either estimated using the empirical Bayes approach or is endowed with a suitable prior in a hierarchical Bayes approach. We…
We consider high-dimensional sparse regression problems in which we observe $\mathbf{y}=\mathbf{X}\boldsymbol{\beta} +\mathbf{z}$, where $\mathbf{X}$ is an $n\times p$ design matrix and $\mathbf{z}$ is an $n$-dimensional vector of independent Gaussian errors, each with variance $\sigma^{2}$. Our focus is on the recently introduced SLOPE estimator [Ann. Appl. Stat. 9 (2015) 1103–1140], which regularizes the least-squares estimates with the rank-dependent penalty $\sum_{1\le i\le p}\lambda_{i}|\widehat{\beta} |_{(i)}$…
We establish global rates of convergence for the Maximum Likelihood Estimators (MLEs) of log-concave and $s$-concave densities on $\mathbb{R}$. The main finding is that the rate of convergence of the MLE in the Hellinger metric is no worse than $n^{-2/5}$ when $-1<s<\infty$ where $s=0$ corresponds to the log-concave case. We also show that the MLE does not exist for the classes of $s$-concave densities with $s<-1$.
We introduce nonparametric regularization of the eigenvalues of a sample covariance matrix through splitting of the data (NERCOME), and prove that NERCOME enjoys asymptotic optimal nonlinear shrinkage of eigenvalues with respect to the Frobenius norm. One advantage of NERCOME is its computational speed when the dimension is not too large. We prove that NERCOME is positive definite almost surely, as long as the true covariance matrix is so, even when the dimension is larger…
In this paper, we study the approximation and estimation of $s$-concave densities via Rényi divergence. We first show that the approximation of a probability measure $Q$ by an $s$-concave density exists and is unique via the procedure of minimizing a divergence functional proposed by [Ann. Statist. 38 (2010) 2998–3027] if and only if $Q$ admits full-dimensional support and a first moment. We also show continuity of the divergence functional in $Q$: if $Q_{n}\to Q$ in the…
Jason D. Lee · Dennis L. Sun · Yuekai Sun · Jonathan E. Taylor·刊期 2016-06-01 · 卷 44(3)·The Annals of Statistics已编入正刊
精确的事后选择推断及其在 lasso 中的应用AI 解读
We develop a general approach to valid inference after model selection. At the core of our framework is a result that characterizes the distribution of a post-selection estimator conditioned on the selection event. We specialize the approach to model selection by the lasso to form valid confidence intervals for the selected coefficients and test whether all relevant variables have been included in the model.
Asymptotics of the normalizing constant are computed for a class of one parameter exponential families on permutations which include Mallows models with Spearmans’s Footrule and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Statistic. The MLE and a computable approximation of the MLE are shown to be consistent. The pseudo-likelihood estimator of Besag is shown to be $\sqrt{n}$-consistent. An iterative algorithm (IPFP) is proved to converge to the limiting normalizing constant. The Mallows…
Dimitris Bertsimas · Angela King · Rahul Mazumder·刊期 2016-04-01 · 卷 44(2)·The Annals of Statistics已编入正刊
从现代优化视角求解最佳子集选择AI 解读
In the period 1991–2015, algorithmic advances in Mixed Integer Optimization (MIO) coupled with hardware improvements have resulted in an astonishing 450 billion factor speedup in solving MIO problems. We present a MIO approach for solving the classical best subset selection problem of choosing $k$ out of $p$ features in linear regression given $n$ observations. We develop a discrete extension of modern first-order continuous optimization methods to find high quality feasible…
We develop a canonical framework for the study of the problem of registration of multiple point processes subjected to warping, known as the problem of separation of amplitude and phase variation. The amplitude variation of a real random function $\{Y(x):x\in[0,1]\}$ corresponds to its random oscillations in the $y$-axis, typically encapsulated by its (co)variation around a mean level. In contrast, its phase variation refers to fluctuations in the $x$-axis, often caused by…
Jonathan E. Taylor · Joshua R. Loftus · Ryan J. Tibshirani·刊期 2016-04-01 · 卷 44(2)·The Annals of Statistics已编入正刊
利用 Kac–Rice 公式进行自适应回归推断AI 解读
We derive an exact $p$-value for testing a global null hypothesis in a general adaptive regression setting. Our approach uses the Kac–Rice formula [as described in Random Fields and Geometry (2007) Springer, New York] applied to the problem of maximizing a Gaussian process. The resulting test statistic has a known distribution in finite samples, assuming Gaussian errors. We examine this test statistic in the case of the lasso, group lasso, principal components and matrix…
Tony Cai · Donggyu Kim · Yazhen Wang · Ming Yuan · Harrison H. Zhou·刊期 2016-04-01 · 卷 44(2)·The Annals of Statistics已编入正刊
基于 Pauli 测量的最优大规模量子态层析AI 解读
Quantum state tomography aims to determine the state of a quantum system as represented by a density matrix. It is a fundamental task in modern scientific studies involving quantum systems. In this paper, we study estimation of high-dimensional density matrices based on Pauli measurements. In particular, under appropriate notion of sparsity, we establish the minimax optimal rates of convergence for estimation of the density matrix under both the spectral and Frobenius norm…
The existence of limiting spectral distribution (LSD) of $\hat{\Gamma}_{u}+\hat{\Gamma}_{u}^{*}$, the symmetric sum of the sample autocovariance matrix $\hat{\Gamma}_{u}$ of order $u$, is known when the observations are from an infinite dimensional vector linear process with appropriate (strong) assumptions on the coefficient matrices. Under significantly weaker conditions, we prove, in a unified way, that the LSD of any symmetric polynomial in these matrices such as $\hat{\Gamma}_{u}+\hat{\Gamma}_{u}^{*}$…
This paper discusses the simultaneous inference of mean parameters in a family of distributions with quadratic variance function. We first introduce a class of semi-parametric/parametric shrinkage estimators and establish their asymptotic optimality properties. Two specific cases, the location-scale family and the natural exponential family with quadratic variance function, are then studied in detail. We conduct a comprehensive simulation study to compare the performance of…
A constructive proof of identification of multilinear decompositions of multiway arrays is presented. It can be applied to show identification in a variety of multivariate latent structures. Examples are finite-mixture models and hidden Markov models. The key step to show identification is the joint diagonalization of a set of matrices in the same nonorthogonal basis. An estimator of the latent-structure model may then be based on a sample version of this…
We consider an independence feature screening technique for identifying explanatory variables that locally contribute to the response variable in high-dimensional regression analysis. Without requiring a specific parametric form of the underlying data model, our approach accommodates a wide spectrum of nonparametric and semiparametric model families. To detect the local contributions of explanatory variables, our approach constructs empirical likelihood locally in…
We consider the random-design least-squares regression problem within the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) framework. Given a stream of independent and identically distributed input/output data, we aim to learn a regression function within an RKHS H, even if the optimal predictor (i.e., the conditional expectation) is not in H. In a stochastic approximation framework where the estimator is updated after each observation, we show that the…
This paper provides a rigorous study of the nonparametric estimation of filaments or ridge lines of a probability density f. Points on the filament are considered as local extrema of the density when traversing the support of f along the integral curve driven by the vector field of second eigenvectors of the Hessian of f. We “parametrize” points on the filaments by such integral curves, and thus both the estimation of integral curves and of filaments will be considered…
We propose a notion of conditional vector quantile function and a vector quantile regression. A conditional vector quantile function (CVQF) of a random vector Y, taking values in Rd given covariates Z=z, taking values in Rk, is a map u⟼QY∣Z(u,z), which is monotone, in the sense of being a gradient of a convex function, and such that given that vector U follows a reference non-atomic distribution FU, for instance uniform…
In the setting of nonparametric multivariate regression with unknown error variance σ2, we study asymptotic properties of a Bayesian method for estimating a regression function f and its mixed partial derivatives. We use a random series of tensor product of B-splines with normal basis coefficients as a prior for f, and σ is either estimated using the empirical Bayes approach or is endowed with a suitable prior in a hierarchical Bayes approach. We…
We consider high-dimensional sparse regression problems in which we observe y=Xβ+z, where X is an n×p design matrix and z is an n-dimensional vector of independent Gaussian errors, each with variance σ2. Our focus is on the recently introduced SLOPE estimator [Ann. Appl. Stat. 9 (2015) 1103–1140], which regularizes the least-squares estimates with the rank-dependent penalty ∑1≤i≤pλi∣β∣(i)…
Global rates of convergence of the MLEs of log-concave and s-concave densities
We establish global rates of convergence for the Maximum Likelihood Estimators (MLEs) of log-concave and s-concave densities on R. The main finding is that the rate of convergence of the MLE in the Hellinger metric is no worse than n−2/5 when −1<s<∞ where s=0 corresponds to the log-concave case. We also show that the MLE does not exist for the classes of s-concave densities with s<−1.
In this paper, we study the approximation and estimation of s-concave densities via Rényi divergence. We first show that the approximation of a probability measure Q by an s-concave density exists and is unique via the procedure of minimizing a divergence functional proposed by [Ann. Statist. 38 (2010) 2998–3027] if and only if Q admits full-dimensional support and a first moment. We also show continuity of the divergence functional in Q: if Qn→Q in the…
Asymptotics of the normalizing constant are computed for a class of one parameter exponential families on permutations which include Mallows models with Spearmans’s Footrule and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Statistic. The MLE and a computable approximation of the MLE are shown to be consistent. The pseudo-likelihood estimator of Besag is shown to be n-consistent. An iterative algorithm (IPFP) is proved to converge to the limiting normalizing constant. The Mallows…
In the period 1991–2015, algorithmic advances in Mixed Integer Optimization (MIO) coupled with hardware improvements have resulted in an astonishing 450 billion factor speedup in solving MIO problems. We present a MIO approach for solving the classical best subset selection problem of choosing k out of p features in linear regression given n observations. We develop a discrete extension of modern first-order continuous optimization methods to find high quality feasible…
We develop a canonical framework for the study of the problem of registration of multiple point processes subjected to warping, known as the problem of separation of amplitude and phase variation. The amplitude variation of a real random function {Y(x):x∈[0,1]} corresponds to its random oscillations in the y-axis, typically encapsulated by its (co)variation around a mean level. In contrast, its phase variation refers to fluctuations in the x-axis, often caused by…
We derive an exact p-value for testing a global null hypothesis in a general adaptive regression setting. Our approach uses the Kac–Rice formula [as described in Random Fields and Geometry (2007) Springer, New York] applied to the problem of maximizing a Gaussian process. The resulting test statistic has a known distribution in finite samples, assuming Gaussian errors. We examine this test statistic in the case of the lasso, group lasso, principal components and matrix…
The existence of limiting spectral distribution (LSD) of Γ^u+Γ^u∗, the symmetric sum of the sample autocovariance matrix Γ^u of order u, is known when the observations are from an infinite dimensional vector linear process with appropriate (strong) assumptions on the coefficient matrices. Under significantly weaker conditions, we prove, in a unified way, that the LSD of any symmetric polynomial in these matrices such as Γ^u+Γ^u∗…