No Arabic abstract
In the case of a linear state space model, we implement an MCMC sampler with two phases. In the learning phase, a self-tuning sampler is used to learn the parameter mean and covariance structure. In the estimation phase, the parameter mean and covariance structure informs the proposed mechanism and is also used in a delayed-acceptance algorithm. Information on the resulting state of the system is given by a Gaussian mixture. In on-line mode, the algorithm is adaptive and uses a sliding window approach to accelerate sampling speed and to maintain appropriate acceptance rates. We apply the algorithm to joined state and parameter estimation in the case of irregularly sampled GPS time series data.
Selecting input variables or design points for statistical models has been of great interest in adaptive design and active learning. Motivated by two scientific examples, this paper presents a strategy of selecting the design points for a regression model when the underlying regression function is discontinuous. The first example we undertook was for the purpose of accelerating imaging speed in a high resolution material imaging; the second was use of sequential design for the purpose of mapping a chemical phase diagram. In both examples, the underlying regression functions have discontinuities, so many of the existing design optimization approaches cannot be applied because they mostly assume a continuous regression function. Although some existing adaptive design strategies developed from treed regression models can handle the discontinuities, the Bayesian approaches come with computationally expensive Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques for posterior inferences and subsequent design point selections, which is not appropriate for the first motivating example that requires computation at least faster than the original imaging speed. In addition, the treed models are based on the domain partitioning that are inefficient when the discontinuities occurs over complex sub-domain boundaries. We propose a simple and effective adaptive design strategy for a regression analysis with discontinuities: some statistical properties with a fixed design will be presented first, and then these properties will be used to propose a new criterion of selecting the design points for the regression analysis. Sequential design with the new criterion will be presented with comprehensive simulated examples, and its application to the two motivating examples will be presented.
Modeling correlated or highly stratified multiple-response data becomes a common data analysis task due to modern data monitoring facilities and methods. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) is one of the popular statistical methods for analyzing this kind of data. In this paper, we present a sequential estimation procedure for obtaining GEE-based estimates. In addition to the conventional random sampling, the proposed method features adaptive subject recruiting and variable selection. Moreover, we equip our method with an adaptive shrinkage property so that it can decide the effective variables during the estimation procedure and build a confidence set with a pre-specified precision for the corresponding parameters. In addition to the statistical properties of the proposed procedure, we assess our method using both simulated data and real data sets.
State estimation aims at approximately reconstructing the solution $u$ to a parametrized partial differential equation from $m$ linear measurements, when the parameter vector $y$ is unknown. Fast numerical recovery methods have been proposed based on reduced models which are linear spaces of moderate dimension $n$ which are tailored to approximate the solution manifold $mathcal{M}$ where the solution sits. These methods can be viewed as deterministic counterparts to Bayesian estimation approaches, and are proved to be optimal when the prior is expressed by approximability of the solution with respect to the reduced model. However, they are inherently limited by their linear nature, which bounds from below their best possible performance by the Kolmogorov width $d_m(mathcal{M})$ of the solution manifold. In this paper we propose to break this barrier by using simple nonlinear reduced models that consist of a finite union of linear spaces $V_k$, each having dimension at most $m$ and leading to different estimators $u_k^*$. A model selection mechanism based on minimizing the PDE residual over the parameter space is used to select from this collection the final estimator $u^*$. Our analysis shows that $u^*$ meets optimal recovery benchmarks that are inherent to the solution manifold and not tied to its Kolmogorov width. The residual minimization procedure is computationally simple in the relevant case of affine parameter dependence in the PDE. In addition, it results in an estimator $y^*$ for the unknown parameter vector. In this setting, we also discuss an alternating minimization (coordinate descent) algorithm for joint state and parameter estimation, that potentially improves the quality of both estimators.
Estimating the parameter of a Bernoulli process arises in many applications, including photon-efficient active imaging where each illumination period is regarded as a single Bernoulli trial. Motivated by acquisition efficiency when multiple Bernoulli processes are of interest, we formulate the allocation of trials under a constraint on the mean as an optimal resource allocation problem. An oracle-aided trial allocation demonstrates that there can be a significant advantage from varying the allocation for different processes and inspires a simple trial allocation gain quantity. Motivated by realizing this gain without an oracle, we present a trellis-based framework for representing and optimizing stopping rules. Considering the convenient case of Beta priors, three implementable stopping rules with similar performances are explored, and the simplest of these is shown to asymptotically achieve the oracle-aided trial allocation. These approaches are further extended to estimating functions of a Bernoulli parameter. In simulations inspired by realistic active imaging scenarios, we demonstrate significant mean-squared error improvements: up to 4.36 dB for the estimation of p and up to 1.80 dB for the estimation of log p.
Proliferation of grid resources on the distribution network along with the inability to forecast them accurately will render the existing methodology of grid operation and control untenable in the future. Instead, a more distributed yet coordinated approach for grid operation and control will emerge that models and analyzes the grid with a larger footprint and deeper hierarchy to unify control of disparate T&D grid resources under a common framework. Such approach will require AC state-estimation (ACSE) of joint T&D networks. Today, no practical method for realizing combined T&D ACSE exists. This paper addresses that gap from circuit-theoretic perspective through realizing a combined T&D ACSE solution methodology that is fast, convex and robust against bad-data. To address daunting challenges of problem size (million+ variables) and data-privacy, the approach is distributed both in memory and computing resources. To ensure timely convergence, the approach constructs a distributed circuit model for combined T&D networks and utilizes node-tearing techniques for efficient parallelism. To demonstrate the efficacy of the approach, combined T&D ACSE algorithm is run on large test networks that comprise of multiple T&D feeders. The results reflect the accuracy of the estimates in terms of root mean-square error and algorithm scalability in terms of wall-clock time.