Mean field limits for nonlinear spatially extended Hawkes processes with exponential memory kernels

We consider spatially extended systems of interacting nonlinear Hawkes processes modeling large systems of neurons placed in ${\mathbb{R}}^d$ and study the associated mean field limits. As the total number of neurons tends to infinity, we prove that the evolution of a typical neuron, attached to a given spatial position, can be described by a nonlinear limit differential equation driven by a Poisson random measure. The limit process is described by a neural field equation. As a consequence, we provide a rigorous derivation of the neural field equation based on a thorough mean field analysis.     

Bayesian Inference for Hawkes Processes

The Hawkes process is a practically and theoretically important class of point processes, but parameter-estimation for such a process can pose various problems. In this paper we explore and compare two approaches to Bayesian inference. The first approach is based on the so-called conditional intensity function, while the second approach is based on an underlying clustering and branching structure in the Hawkes process. For practical use, MCMC (Markov chain Monte Carlo) methods are employed. The two approaches are compared numerically using three examples of the Hawkes process.     

Mean-field limit of generalized Hawkes processes

We generalize multivariate Hawkes processes mainly by including a dependence with respect to the age of the process, i.e. the delay since the last point.Within this class, we investigate the limit behaviour, when $n$ goes to infinity, of a system of $n$ mean-field interacting age-dependent Hawkes processes. We prove that such a system can be approximated by independent and identically distributed age dependent point processes interacting with their own mean intensity. This result generalizes the study performed by Delattre et al. (2016).In continuity with Chevallier et al. (2015), the second goal of this paper is to give a proper link between these generalized Hawkes processes as microscopic models of individual neurons and the age-structured system of partial differential equations introduced by Pakdaman et al. (2010) as macroscopic model of neurons.     

Approximate Simulation of Hawkes Processes

Hawkes processes are important in point process theory and its applications, and simulation of such processes are often needed for various statistical purposes. This article concerns a simulation algorithm for unmarked and marked Hawkes processes, exploiting that the process can be constructed as a Poisson cluster process. The algorithm suffers from edge effects but is much faster than the perfect simulation algorithm introduced in our previous work Møller and Rasmussen (2004). We derive various useful measures for the error committed when using the algorithm, and we discuss various empirical results for the algorithm compared with perfect simulations. Extensions of the algorithm and the results to more general types of marked point processes are also discussed.     

Markov-modulated Hawkes process with stepwise decay

This paper proposes a new model—the Markov-modulated Hawkes process with stepwise decay (MMHPSD)—to investigate the variation in seismicity rate during a series of earthquake sequences including multiple main shocks. The MMHPSD is a self-exciting process which switches among different states, in each of which the process has distinguishable background seismicity and decay rates. Parameter estimation is developed via the expectation maximization algorithm. The model is applied to data from the Landers–Hector Mine earthquake sequence, demonstrating that it is useful for modelling changes in the temporal patterns of seismicity. The states in the model can capture the behavior of main shocks, large aftershocks, secondary aftershocks, and a period of quiescence with different background rates and decay rates.     

Moderate deviations for marked Hawkes processes

We consider a linear Hawkes process with random marks. Some limit theorems have been studied by Karabash and Zhu [Stoch. Models, 31, 433–451 (2015)]. In this paper, we obtain a moderate deviation principle for marked Hawkes processes.     

On the Hawkes Graphs of Finite Groups

We study the properties and applications of the directed graph, introduced by Hawkes in 1968, of a finite group \( G \). The vertex set of \( \Gamma_{H}(G) \) coincides with \( \pi(G) \) and \( (p,q) \) is an edge if and only if \( q\in\pi(G/O_{p^{\prime},p}(G)) \). In the language of properties of this graph we obtain commutation conditions for all \( p \)-elements with all \( r \)-elements of \( G \), where \( p \) and \( r \) are distinct primes. We estimate the nilpotence length of a solvable finite group in terms of subgraphs of its Hawkes graph. Given an integer \( n>1 \), we find conditions for reconstructing the Hawkes graph of a finite group \( G \) from the Hawkes graphs of its \( n \) pairwise nonconjugate maximal subgroups. Using these results, we obtain some new tests for the membership of a solvable finite group in the well-known saturated formations.

     

John Hawkes (1944-2001)

In his curriculum vitae, John Hawkes lists his research interestsas geometric measure theory, probability (Lévy processes),and potential theory (probabilistic). In fact, he made significantcontributions to all three areas, and there are strong relationshipsbetween them. He used both geometric measure theory and potentialtheory as tools for his study of the trajectories of particularLévy processes, but in many cases he needed to developthe tool before it was ready to be used. We will summarise hisresearch later, but first we discuss what is known of his lifehistory.     

Some asymptotic results for nonlinear Hawkes processes

Hawkes process is a class of simple point processes with self-exciting and clustering properties. Hawkes process has been widely applied in finance, neuroscience, social networks, criminology, seismology, and many other fields. In this paper, we study fluctuations, large deviations and moderate deviations nonlinear Hawkes processes in a new asymptotic regime, the large intensity function and the small exciting function regime. It corresponds to the large baseline intensity asymptotics for the linear case, and can also be interpreted as the asymptotics for the mean process of Hawkes processes on a large network.     

Direct Likelihood Evaluation for the Renewal Hawkes Process

An interesting extension of the widely applied Hawkes self-exiting point process, the renewal Hawkes (RHawkes) process, was recently proposed by Wheatley, Filimonov, and Sornette, which has the potential to significantly widen the application domains of the self-exciting point processes. However, they claimed that computation of the likelihood of the RHawkes process requires exponential time and therefore is practically impossible. They proposed two expectation–maximization (EM) type algorithms to compute the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the model parameters. Because of the fundamental role of likelihood in statistical inference, a practically feasible method for likelihood evaluation is highly desirable. In this article, we provide an algorithm that evaluates the likelihood of the RHawkes process in quadratic time, a drastic improvement from the exponential time claimed by Wheatley, Filimonov, and Sornette. We demonstrate the superior performance of the resulting MLEs of the model relative to the EM estimators through simulations. We also present a computationally efficient procedure to calculate the Rosenblatt residuals of the process for goodness-of-fit assessment, and a simple yet efficient procedure for future event prediction. The proposed methodologies were applied on real data from seismology and finance. An R package implementing the proposed methodologies is included in the supplementary materials.     

Risk Processes with Non-stationary Hawkes Claims Arrivals

We consider risk processes with non-stationary Hawkes claims arrivals, and we study the asymptotic behavior of infinite and finite horizon ruin probabilities under light-tailed conditions on the claims. Moreover, we provide asymptotically efficient simulation laws for ruin probabilities and we give numerical illustrations of the theoretical results.     

Limit Theorems for Inverse Process T_n of Hawkes Process

We consider linear Hawkes process N_t and its inverse process T_n. The limit theorems for N_t are well known and studied by many authors. In this paper, we study the limit theorems for T_n. In particular, we investigate the law of large numbers, the central limit theorem and the large deviation principle for T_n. The main tool of the proof is based on immigration-birth representation and the observations on the relation between N_t and T_n.     

Measuring Discrepancies Between Poisson and Exponential Hawkes Processes

Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability - Poisson processes are widely used to model the occurrence of similar and independent events. However they turn out to be an inadequate tool to...     

Sensitivity analysis for marked Hawkes processes: application to CLO pricing

This paper deals with a model for pricing Collateralized Loan Obligations, where the underlying credit risk is driven by a marked Hawkes process, involving both clustering effects on defaults and random recovery rates. We provide a sensitivity analysis of the CLO price with respect to the parameters of the Hawkes process using a change of probability and a variational approach. We also provide a simplified version of the model where the intensity of the Hawkes process is taken as the instantaneous default rate. In this setting, we give a moment-based formula for the expected survival probability.     

Moments for Hawkes Processes with Gamma Decay Kernel Functions

Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability - Hawkes processes have been widely studied, but their many probability properties are still difficult to obtain, including their moments. In the...     

Limit theorems for Markovian Hawkes processes with a large initial intensity

Hawkes process is a simple point process that is self-exciting and has clustering effect. The intensity of this point process depends on its entire past history. It has wide applications in finance, neuroscience, social networks, criminology, seismology, and many other fields. In this paper, we study the linear Hawkes process with an exponential exciting function in the asymptotic regime where the initial intensity of the Hawkes process is large. We derive limit theorems under this asymptotic regime as well as the regime when both the initial intensity and the time are large.     

Functional central limit theorems for stationary Hawkes processes and application to infinite-server queues

A univariate Hawkes process is a simple point process that is self-exciting and has a clustering effect. The intensity of this point process is given by the sum of a baseline intensity and another term that depends on the entire past history of the point process. Hawkes processes have wide applications in finance, neuroscience, social networks, criminology, seismology, and many other fields. In this paper, we prove a functional central limit theorem for stationary Hawkes processes in the asymptotic regime where the baseline intensity is large. The limit is a non-Markovian Gaussian process with dependent increments. We use the resulting approximation to study an infinite-server queue with high-volume Hawkes traffic. We show that the queue length process can be approximated by a Gaussian process, for which we compute explicitly the covariance function and the steady-state distribution. We also extend our results to multivariate stationary Hawkes processes and establish limit theorems for infinite-server queues with multivariate Hawkes traffic.     

Fast estimation of multivariate spatiotemporal Hawkes processes and network reconstruction

Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics - We present a fast, accurate estimation method for multivariate Hawkes self-exciting point processes widely used in seismology, criminology,...