Likelihood inferences for the link function without knowing the true underlying distributions

This article is concerned with inference about link function in generalized linear models. A parametric and yet robust likelihood approach is introduced to accomplish the intended goal. More specifically, it is demonstrated that one can convert normal and gamma likelihoods into robust likelihood functions for the link function. The asymptotic validity of the robust likelihood requires only the existence of the second moments of the underlying distributions. The application of this novel robust likelihood method is demonstrated on the Box–Cox transformation. Simulation studies and real data analysis are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the new parametric robust procedures.     

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In this article, we develop efficient robust method for estimation of mean and covariance simultaneously for longitudinal data in regression model. Based on Cholesky decomposition for the covariance matrix and rewriting the regression model, we propose a weighted least square estimator, in which the weights are estimated under generalized empirical likelihood framework. The proposed estimator obtains high efficiency from the close connection to empirical likelihood method, and achieves robustness by bounding the weighted sum of squared residuals. Simulation study shows that, compared to existing robust estimation methods for longitudinal data, the proposed estimator has relatively high efficiency and comparable robustness. In the end, the proposed method is used to analyse a real data set.     

Robust empirical likelihood inference for generalized partial linear models with longitudinal data

In this paper, we propose a robust empirical likelihood (REL) inference for the parametric component in a generalized partial linear model (GPLM) with longitudinal data. We make use of bounded scores and leverage-based weights in the auxiliary random vectors to achieve robustness against outliers in both the response and covariates. Simulation studies demonstrate the good performance of our proposed REL method, which is more accurate and efficient than the robust generalized estimating equation (GEE) method (X. He, W.K. Fung, Z.Y. Zhu, Robust estimation in generalized partial linear models for clustered data, Journal of the American Statistical Association 100 (2005) 1176-1184). The proposed robust method is also illustrated by analyzing a real data set.     

Normal/Independent Distributions and Their Applications in Robust Regression

Abstract

Maximum likelihood estimation with nonnormal error distributions provides one method of robust regression. Certain families of normal/independent distributions are particularly attractive for adaptive, robust regression. This article reviews the properties of normal/independent distributions and presents several new results. A major virtue of these distributions is that they lend themselves to EM algorithms for maximum likelihood estimation. EM algorithms are discussed for least L_p regression and for adaptive, robust regression based on the t, slash, and contaminated normal families. Four concrete examples illustrate the performance of the different methods on real data.     

Outlier detection and robust covariance estimation using mathematical programming

The outlier detection problem and the robust covariance estimation problem are often interchangeable. Without outliers, the classical method of maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) can be used to estimate parameters of a known distribution from observational data. When outliers are present, they dominate the log likelihood function causing the MLE estimators to be pulled toward them. Many robust statistical methods have been developed to detect outliers and to produce estimators that are robust against deviation from model assumptions. However, the existing methods suffer either from computational complexity when problem size increases or from giving up desirable properties, such as affine equivariance. An alternative approach is to design a special mathematical programming model to find the optimal weights for all the observations, such that at the optimal solution, outliers are given smaller weights and can be detected. This method produces a covariance estimator that has the following properties: First, it is affine equivariant. Second, it is computationally efficient even for large problem sizes. Third, it easy to incorporate prior beliefs into the estimator by using semi-definite programming. The accuracy of this method is tested for different contamination models, including recently proposed ones. The method is not only faster than the Fast-MCD method for high dimensional data but also has reasonable accuracy for the tested cases.     

Outlier detection in interval data

A multivariate outlier detection method for interval data is proposed that makes use of a parametric approach to model the interval data. The trimmed maximum likelihood principle is adapted in order to robustly estimate the model parameters. A simulation study demonstrates the usefulness of the robust estimates for outlier detection, and new diagnostic plots allow gaining deeper insight into the structure of real world interval data.     

部分线性混合效应模型中方差分量的稳健估计

部分线性混合效应模型中方差分量是我们感兴趣的参数, 文献中已经给出许多估计方法. 但是其中很多方法都可以归结为广义估计方程方法(GEE), 如: 最大似然估计(MLE), 约束最大似然估计(REMLE)等, 而GEE方法对异常点很敏感. 本文提出一组关于部分线性混合效应模型(PLMM)中均值和方差分量的稳健估计方程, 对均值和方差分量同时进行稳健估计; 并进行了随机模拟考察所提出稳健估计的有效性, 最后通过两个实例, 说明了所提方法的可行性.     

Parameter estimation by Hellinger type distance for multivariate distributions based upon probability generating functions

Maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is a popular method for parameter estimation when modeling discrete or count observations but unfortunately it may be sensitive to outliers. Alternative robust methods like minimum Hellinger distance (MHD) have been proposed for estimation. However, in the multivariate case, the MHD method leads to computer intensive estimation especially when the joint probability density function is complicated. In this paper, a Hellinger type distance measure based on the probability generating function is proposed as a tool for quick and robust parameter estimation. The proposed method yields consistent estimators, performs well for simulated and real data, and can be computationally much faster than ML or MHD estimation.     

Robust factor analysis

Our aim is to construct a factor analysis method that can resist the effect of outliers. For this we start with a highly robust initial covariance estimator, after which the factors can be obtained from maximum likelihood or from principal factor analysis (PFA). We find that PFA based on the minimum covariance determinant scatter matrix works well. We also derive the influence function of the PFA method based on either the classical scatter matrix or a robust matrix. These results are applied to the construction of a new type of empirical influence function (EIF), which is very effective for detecting influential data. To facilitate the interpretation, we compute a cutoff value for this EIF. Our findings are illustrated with several real data examples.     

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Homogeneity of variance and correlation coefficients is one of assumptions in the analysis of longitudinal data.However, the assumption can be challenged. In this paper, we mainly propose and analyze nonlinear mixed effects models for longitudinal data with exponential correlation covariance structure, intend to introduce Huber's function in the log likelihood function and get robust estimation (M-estimation) by Fisher scoring method. Score test statistics for homogeneity of variance and correlation coefficient based on M-estimation are then studied. A simulation study is carried to assess the performance of test statistics and the method we proposed in the paper is illustrated by an actual data example.     

Robust Gaussian graphical modeling

A new Gaussian graphical modeling that is robustified against possible outliers is proposed. The likelihood function is weighted according to how the observation is deviated, where the deviation of the observation is measured based on its likelihood. Test statistics associated with the robustified estimators are developed. These include statistics for goodness of fit of a model. An outlying score, similar to but more robust than the Mahalanobis distance, is also proposed. The new scores make it easier to identify outlying observations. A Monte Carlo simulation and an analysis of a real data set show that the proposed method works better than ordinary Gaussian graphical modeling and some other robustified multivariate estimators.     

Likelihood robust optimization for data-driven problems

We consider optimal decision-making problems in an uncertain environment. In particular, we consider the case in which the distribution of the input is unknown, yet there is some historical data drawn from the distribution. In this paper, we propose a new type of distributionally robust optimization model called the likelihood robust optimization (LRO) model for this class of problems. In contrast to previous work on distributionally robust optimization that focuses on certain parameters (e.g., mean, variance, etc.) of the input distribution, we exploit the historical data and define the accessible distribution set to contain only those distributions that make the observed data achieve a certain level of likelihood. Then we formulate the targeting problem as one of optimizing the expected value of the objective function under the worst-case distribution in that set. Our model avoids the over-conservativeness of some prior robust approaches by ruling out unrealistic distributions while maintaining robustness of the solution for any statistically likely outcomes. We present statistical analyses of our model using Bayesian statistics and empirical likelihood theory. Specifically, we prove the asymptotic behavior of our distribution set and establish the relationship between our model and other distributionally robust models. To test the performance of our model, we apply it to the newsvendor problem and the portfolio selection problem. The test results show that the solutions of our model indeed have desirable performance.     

The forward search interactive outlier detection in cointegrated VAR analysis

Cointegration analysis is particularly sensitive to outlying observations. Traditional robust approaches rely on parameter estimates based on weighting schemes to penalize aberrant units. This, in particular, is the idea underlying pseudo maximum likelihood robust estimators. Atypical observations, however, can reveal useful information about the investigated phenomenon. Aiming to detect these observations, we extend the forward search procedure to the cointegrated vector autoregressive model. The analysis is carried out by building up subsets of increasing dimension and monitoring suitable statistics at each subset size. Simulation experiments and real data analysis highlight that our forward search is more effective than the pseudo maximum likelihood in detecting atypical units and data structures.     

多源验前信息下先验分布的稳健融合方法

根据多种先验分布与似然函数尾部特性的比较,给出了多源验前信息下先验分布的稳健融合方法.讨论了由该方法得到的融合先验分布的后验稳健性问题.最后的数值例子表明,由该方法得到的融合先验分布具有较好的稳健性,进一步验证了该方法的有效性.     

An effective selection of regression variables when the error distribution is incorrectly specified

Summary An asymptotically efficient selection of regression variables is considered in the situation where the statistician estimates regression parameters by the maximum likelihood method but fails to choose a likelihood function matching the true error distribution. The proposed procedure is useful when a robust regression technique is applied but the data in fact do not require that treatment. Examples and a Monte Carlo study are presented and relationships to other selectors such as Mallows'C _p are investigated. Research supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonderforschungsbereich 123 “Stochastische Mathematische Modelle” and AFOSR Contract No. F49620 82 C 0009.     

纵向数据下广义估计方程估计

广义估计方程方法是一种最一般的参数估计方法,广泛地应用于生物统计、经济计量、医疗保险等领域.在纵向数据下,由于组间数据是相关的,为了提高估计的效率,广义估计方程方法一般需要考虑个体组内相关性.因此,大多数文献对个体组内的协方差矩阵进行参数假设,但假设的合理性及协方差矩阵估计的好坏对参数估计效率产生很大影响,同时参数假设也可能导致模型误判.针对纵向数据下广义估计方程,本文提出了改进的GMM方法和经验似然方法,并对给出的估计量建立了大样本性质.其中分块的思想,避免了对个体组内相关性结构进行假设,从这种意义上说,这种方法具有一定的稳健性.我们还通过两个模拟的例子,考察了文中提出估计量的有限样本性质.     

多元测量误差模型的稳健GM-估计量

由于EV（Errores-in-Variables)模型（也称测量误差模型）的最大似然估计由正交回归给出，而正交回归对污染数据是敏感的，所以，需要采用稳健的统计方法来估计模型参数。本文在多元EV模型中引入稳健GM-估计量，把一元正态EV模型的若干结果推广到多元情形，所得的稳健性结果不仅更具一般性，而且还修正了文献中对一元情形给出的一个错误结果。     

Jackknife-blockwise empirical likelihood methods under dependence

Empirical likelihood for general estimating equations is a method for testing hypothesis or constructing confidence regions on parameters of interest. If the number of parameters of interest is smaller than that of estimating equations, a profile empirical likelihood has to be employed. In case of dependent data, a profile blockwise empirical likelihood method can be used. However, if too many nuisance parameters are involved, a computational difficulty in optimizing the profile empirical likelihood arises. Recently, Li et al. (2011) [9] proposed a jackknife empirical likelihood method to reduce the computation in the profile empirical likelihood methods for independent data. In this paper, we propose a jackknife-blockwise empirical likelihood method to overcome the computational burden in the profile blockwise empirical likelihood method for weakly dependent data.     

Empirical likelihood-based evaluations of Value at Risk models

Value at Risk (VaR) is a basic and very useful tool in measuring market risks. Numerous VaR models have been proposed in literature. Therefore, it is of great interest to evaluate the efficiency of these models, and to select the most appropriate one. In this paper, we shall propose to use the empirical likelihood approach to evaluate these models. Simulation results and real life examples show that the empirical likelihood method is more powerful and more robust than some of the asymptotic method available in literature.