Optimal Estimation of Large-Dimensional Nonlinear Factor Models
高维非线性因子模型的最优估计
This paper studies optimal estimation of large-dimensional nonlinear factor models. The key challenge is that the observed variables are possibly nonlinear functions of some latent variables, with the functional forms left unspecified. A local principal component analysis method combining K-nearest neighbors matching and principal component analysis is proposed to estimate the factor structure and recover information on latent variables and latent functions. Large-sample…