An Asynchronous Distributed Expectation Maximization Algorithm for Massive Data: The DEM Algorithm

The family of expectation--maximization (EM) algorithms provides a general approach to fitting flexible models for large and complex data. The expectation (E) step of EM-type algorithms is time-consuming in massive data applications because it requires multiple passes through the full data. We address this problem by proposing an asynchronous and distributed generalization of the EM called the distributed EM (DEM). Using DEM, existing EM-type algorithms are easily extended to massive data settings by exploiting the divide-and-conquer technique and widely available computing power, such as grid computing. The DEM algorithm reserves two groups of computing processes called workers and managers for performing the E step and the maximization step (M step), respectively. The samples are randomly partitioned into a large number of disjoint subsets and are stored on the worker processes. The E step of DEM algorithm is performed in parallel on all the workers, and every worker communicates its results to the managers at the end of local E step. The managers perform the M step after they have received results from a γ-fraction of the workers, where γ is a fixed constant in (0, 1]. The sequence of parameter estimates generated by the DEM algorithm retains the attractive properties of EM: convergence of the sequence of parameter estimates to a local mode and linear global rate of convergence. Across diverse simulations focused on linear mixed-effects models, the DEM algorithm is significantly faster than competing EM-type algorithms while having a similar accuracy. The DEM algorithm maintains its superior empirical performance on a movie ratings database consisting of 10 million ratings. Supplementary material for this article is available online.     

单轴压缩条件下溶蚀礁灰岩细观变形破坏特征研究

礁灰岩的溶蚀对海洋工程和岛礁工程的稳定性有明显的影响.孔隙型溶蚀是礁灰岩常见的溶蚀方式.本文通过构建随机溶蚀孔洞的离散元模型,模拟孔洞型溶蚀礁灰岩的细观变形破坏特征,分析其变形破坏规律与裂隙演化特征.结果 表明,基于随机聚类算法构建的溶蚀礁灰岩离散元模型能够很好地模拟孔洞型溶蚀作用,且其变形破坏特征具有明显的规律;随着溶蚀率的增加,溶蚀礁灰岩单轴应力应变曲线由单峰型逐渐转变为双峰型或多峰型,破坏特征由脆性破坏逐渐转变为塑性破坏;随着溶蚀率的增加,礁灰岩单轴抗压强度和弹性模量都逐渐减小,抗压强度呈指数函数下降,弹性模量呈线性函数下降,而泊松比则表现为先增后降,说明试样在高溶蚀率时主要发生结构性破坏;随着溶蚀率增加,礁灰岩的宏观破裂面逐渐消失,由于溶蚀孔洞的相互作用,导致了起源于孔洞周围的裂隙开始萌生,并逐渐贯通,最终导致试样发生整体宏观破坏.本研究成果可为深入认识海洋工程和岛礁工程中溶蚀礁灰岩的变形破坏特征提供理论参考.     

Factorizations of tropical and sign polynomials

In this text, we study factorizations of polynomials over the tropical hyperfield and the sign hyperfield, which we call tropical polynomials and sign polynomials, respectively. We classify all irreducible polynomials in either case. We show that tropical polynomials factor uniquely into irreducible factors, but that unique factorization fails for sign polynomials. We describe division algorithms for tropical and sign polynomials by linear terms that correspond to roots of the polynomials.     

艾拉姆咖分布参数变点的Bayes估计

研究了艾拉姆咖分布变点估计的非迭代抽样算法(IBF)和MCMC算法.在贝叶斯框架下,选取无信息先验分布,得到关于变点位置的后验分布和各参数的满条件分布,并且详细介绍了IBF算法和MCMC方法的实施步骤.最后进行随机模拟试验,结果表明两种算法都能够有效的估计变点位置,并且IBF算法的计算速度优于MCMC方法.     

泊松逆高斯回归模型的贝叶斯统计推断

本文研究泊松逆高斯回归模型的贝叶斯统计推断.基于应用Gibbs抽样,Metropolis-Hastings算法以及Multiple-Try Metropolis算法等MCMC统计方法计算模型未知参数和潜变量的联合贝叶斯估计,并引入两个拟合优度统计量来评价提出的泊松逆高斯回归模型的合理性.若干模拟研究与一个实证分析说明方法的可行性.     

线性权互补问题的新全牛顿步可行内点算法

基于一个连续可微函数,通过等价变换中心路径,给出求解线性权互补问题的一个新全牛顿步可行内点算法.该算法每步迭代只需求解一个线性方程组,且不需要进行线搜索.通过适当选取参数,分析了迭代点的严格可行性,并证明算法具有线性优化最好的多项式时间迭代复杂度.数值结果验证了算法的有效性.     

解变分不等式的一种二次投影算法

该文研究一种新的解变分不等式的二次投影算法.通过构造一类新的严格分离当前迭代和变分不等式解集的超平面,进而建立了解决伪单调变分不等式投影算法的一种新的框架.通过改进已有结果的证明方法,证明了该算法生成的无穷序列是全局收敛的,并且在局部误差和Lipschitz条件下给出了收敛率分析.     

基于贝叶斯多元有序probit模型的休闲渔业游客满意度研究

游客满意度是休闲渔业景区制定管理决策的重要参考信息。通过探究游览过程中游客对各单一维度的满意程度与旅游总满意度之间的关系,管理者可以从中准确了解游客偏好、消费行为以及获取旅游产品设计等重要信息。据此,本文采取实地调研,获取11家全国休闲渔业示范基地1510份游客满意度信息,使用马尔科夫链蒙特卡洛法(Markov Chain Monte Carlo, MCMC),估算贝叶斯多元有序probit模型,并利用模型后验结果衡量休闲渔业游客7种分满意度对总体满意度的贡献。研究结果表明:渔憩体验满意度、景区环境满意度以及旅游餐饮满意度是对总体满意度影响程度最大的三种分满意度,所占比例分别为43.58%、24.67%、10.62%。     

考虑翻箱的场桥调度和提箱集卡数量的集成优化

在集装箱码头的进口箱堆场中,码头预约机制、待提箱的实时位置和场桥作业调度方案是制约堆场作业效率和堵塞情况的关键。为缓解进口箱堆场的拥塞情况并提高作业效率,在固定的预约时段内,考虑实时压箱量最少的翻箱规则,兼顾场桥间不可跨越和保持安全间距等现实约束,以场桥最长完工时间最小为目标,构建数学优化模型,设计了嵌入修复算子的改进遗传算法用于求解;通过算例实验验证了算法的有效性和方案的优越性,可为堆场实际作业提供决策参考。     

多集分裂等式问题的逐次松弛投影算法

多集分裂等式问题是分裂可行性问题的拓展问题,在图像重建、语言处理、地震探测等实际问题中具有广泛的应用。为了解决这个问题,提出了逐次松弛投影算法,设计了变化的步长,使其充分利用当前迭代点的信息且不需要算子范数的计算,证明了算法的弱收敛性。数值算例验证了算法在迭代次数与运行时间等方面的优越性。