E-Bayesian estimation of the reliability derived from Binomial distribution

This paper introduces a new parameter estimation method, named E-Bayesian estimation method, to estimate reliability derived from Binomial distribution. The definition of E-Bayesian estimation of the reliability is proposed, the formulas of E-Bayesian estimation and hierarchical Bayesian estimation of the reliability are also provided. Finally, it is shown, through a numerical example, that the new method is much simpler than hierarchical Bayesian estimation in practice.     

Simulation metamodeling with dynamic Bayesian networks

This paper presents a novel approach to simulation metamodeling using dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) in the context of discrete event simulation. A DBN is a probabilistic model that represents the joint distribution of a sequence of random variables and enables the efficient calculation of their marginal and conditional distributions. In this paper, the construction of a DBN based on simulation data and its utilization in simulation analyses are presented. The DBN metamodel allows the study of the time evolution of simulation by tracking the probability distribution of the simulation state over the duration of the simulation. This feature is unprecedented among existing simulation metamodels. The DBN metamodel also enables effective what-if analysis which reveals the conditional evolution of the simulation. In such an analysis, the simulation state at a given time is fixed and the probability distributions representing the state at other time instants are updated. Simulation parameters can be included in the DBN metamodel as external random variables. Then, the DBN offers a way to study the effects of parameter values and their uncertainty on the evolution of the simulation. The accuracy of the analyses allowed by DBNs is studied by constructing appropriate confidence intervals. These analyses could be conducted based on raw simulation data but the use of DBNs reduces the duration of repetitive analyses and is expedited by available Bayesian network software. The construction and analysis capabilities of DBN metamodels are illustrated with two example simulation studies.     

Fusing multiple Bayesian knowledge sources

We address the problem of information fusion in uncertain environments. Imagine there are multiple experts building probabilistic models of the same situation and we wish to aggregate the information they provide. There are several problems we may run into by naively merging the information from each. For example, the experts may disagree on the probability of a certain event or they may disagree on the direction of causality between two events (e.g., one thinks A causes B while another thinks B causes A). They may even disagree on the entire structure of dependencies among a set of variables in a probabilistic network. In our proposed solution to this problem, we represent the probabilistic models as Bayesian Knowledge Bases (BKBs) and propose an algorithm called Bayesian knowledge fusion that allows the fusion of multiple BKBs into a single BKB that retains the information from all input sources. This allows for easy aggregation and de-aggregation of information from multiple expert sources and facilitates multi-expert decision making by providing a framework in which all opinions can be preserved and reasoned over.     

一种基于混合策略的自适应多输出高斯过程响应面法

针对工程结构数值模拟常常是矢量与函数(矢量函数)混合输出的特点,提出一种基于混合策略的含索引变量的矢量高斯过程响应面法,同时提出一种设计点自适应加密方法进一步提高效率。算例显示:本文方法能够优先拾取预测误差最大的点作为加密点;真实误差全部都落在最大可能误差范围之内,最大误差1.4%~1.6%远小于预设误差限5%,验证了本文方法的有效性。     

Gumbel分布的简单贝叶斯估计

在实际应用中,两参数Gumbel分布的贝叶斯估计往往需要预先知道Gumbel参数的二维联合先验分布。由于获取先验分布的主观性和统计推断的复杂性,目前有关Gumbel分布贝叶斯估计理论及其性质的讨论还比较少,更不要说获得较为简单的Gumbel分布的贝叶斯估计。本文基于Kaminskiy和Vasiliy提出的简单贝叶斯估计过程,利用可靠度函数估计的区间形式表示先验信息,从而得到两个参数Gumbel分布的简单贝叶斯估计。基于此先验信息,该估计过程构造了Gumbel参数的连续联合先验分布,给出了在给定任意时点的可靠度(或累积密度)及其标准差的后验估计,为可靠性与风险评估中简单快速的使用贝叶斯估计刻画极端事件提供了可能.     

Multilevel Monte Carlo in approximate Bayesian computation

In the following article, we consider approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) inference. We introduce a method for numerically approximating ABC posteriors using the multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC). A sequential Monte Carlo version of the approach is developed and it is shown under some assumptions that for a given level of mean square error, this method for ABC has a lower cost than i.i.d. sampling from the most accurate ABC approximation. Several numerical examples are given.     

An optimization approach to adaptive multi-dimensional capital management

Firms should keep capital to offer sufficient protection against the risks they are facing. In the insurance context methods have been developed to determine the minimum capital level required, but less so in the context of firms with multiple business lines including allocation. The individual capital reserve of each line can be represented by means of classical models, such as the conventional Cramér–Lundberg model, but the challenge lies in soundly modelling the correlations between the business lines. We propose a simple yet versatile approach that allows for dependence by introducing a common environmental factor. We present a novel Bayesian approach to calibrate the latent environmental state distribution based on observations concerning the claim processes. The calibration approach is adjusted for an environmental factor that changes over time. The convergence of the calibration procedure towards the true environmental state is deduced. We then point out how to determine the optimal initial capital of the different business lines under specific constraints on the ruin probability of subsets of business lines. Upon combining the above findings, we have developed an easy-to-implement approach to capital risk management in a multi-dimensional insurance risk model.     

Bayesian planning of step‐stress accelerated degradation tests under various optimality criteria

Step‐stress accelerated degradation testing (SSADT) has become a common approach to predicting lifetime for highly reliable products that are unlikely to fail in a reasonable time under use conditions or even elevated stress conditions. In literature, the planning of SSADT has been widely investigated for stochastic degradation processes, such as Wiener processes and gamma processes. In this paper, we model the optimal SSADT planning problem from a Bayesian perspective and optimize test plans by determining both stress levels and the allocation of inspections. Large‐sample approximation is used to derive the asymptotic Bayesian utility functions under 3 planning criteria. A revisited LED lamp example is presented to illustrate our method. The comparison with optimal plans from previous studies demonstrates the necessity of considering the stress levels and inspection allocations simultaneously.     

基于动态因子结构的贝叶斯分位面板协整研究

针对传统面板协整检验在建模过程中易受异常值影响以及其原假设设置的主观选择问题,本文利用动态公共因子刻画面板数据潜在的截面相关结构,提出基于动态因子的截面相关结构的贝叶斯分位面板协整检验,结合各个主要分位数水平下参数的条件后验分布,设计结合卡尔曼滤波的Gibbs抽样算法,进行贝叶斯分位面板协整检验;并进行Monte Carlo仿真实验验证贝叶斯分位面板协整检验的可行性与有效性。同时,采用中国各省金融发展和经济增长的面板数据进行实证研究,结果发现在各主要分位数水平下中国金融发展和经济增长之间具有协整关系。研究结果表明:贝叶斯分位面板协整检验方法避免了传统面板数据协整方法由于原假设设置不同而发生误判的问题,克服了异常值的影响,能够提供全面准确的模型参数估计和协整检验结果。     

Degradation modeling of 2 fatigue‐crack growth characteristics based on inverse Gaussian processes: A case study

Most modern products that are highly reliable are complex in their inner and outer structures. This situation indicates quality characterization by the interaction of multiple performance characteristics, which motivates the utilization of robust reliability models to obtain robust estimates. It is paramount to obtaining substantial information about a product's life cycle; therefore, when multiple performance characteristics are dependent, it is important to find models that address the joint distribution of performance degradation of such. In this paper, a reliability model for products with 2 fatigue‐crack growth characteristics related to 2 degradation processes is developed. The proposed model considers the dependence among degradation processes by using copula functions considering the marginal degradation processes as inverse Gaussian processes. The statistical inference is performed by using a Bayesian approach to estimate the parameters of the joint bivariate model. A time‐scale transformation is considered to assure monotone paths of the degradation trajectories. The comparison results of the reliability analysis, under both dependent and independent assumptions, are reported with the implementation of the proposed modeling in a case study, which consists of the crack propagation data of 2 terminals of an electronic device.