Error estimates of mixed finite element methods for quadratic optimal control problems

In this paper, we investigate the error estimates for the solutions of optimal control problems by mixed finite element methods. The state and costate are approximated by Raviart-Thomas mixed finite element spaces of order k and the control is approximated by piecewise polynomials of order k. Under the special constraint set, we will show that the control variable can be smooth in the whole domain. We derive error estimates of optimal order both for the state variables and the control variable.     

Hamilton-Jacobi theory over time scales and applications to linear-quadratic problems

In this paper we first derive the verification theorem for nonlinear optimal control problems over time scales. That is, we show that the value function is the only solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, in which the minimum is attained at an optimal feedback controller. Applications to the linear-quadratic regulator problem (LQR problem) gives a feedback optimal controller form in terms of the solution of a generalized time scale Riccati equation, and that every optimal solution of the LQR problem must take that form. A connection of the newly obtained Riccati equation with the traditional one is established. Problems with shift in the state variable are also considered. As an important tool for the latter theory we obtain a new formula for the chain rule on time scales. Finally, the corresponding LQR problem with shift in the state variable is analyzed and the results are related to previous ones.     

Finite element methods for elliptic optimal control problems with boundary observations

We study in this paper the finite element approximations to elliptic optimal control problems with boundary observations. The main feature of this kind of optimal control problems is that the observations or measurements are the outward normal derivatives of the state variable on the boundary, this reduces the regularity of solutions to the optimal control problems. We propose two kinds of finite element methods: the standard FEM and the mixed FEM, to efficiently approximate the underlying optimal control problems. For both cases we derive a priori error estimates for problems posed on polygonal domains. Some numerical experiments are carried out at the end of the paper to support our theoretical findings.     

A comparison of higher-order local powers of a class of one-way MANOVA tests under general distributions

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of nonnormality upon the nonnull distributions of some MANOVA test statistics under normality. It is shown that whatever the underlying distributions, the difference of the local powers up to order N^-1 (N is the total number of observations) after either Bartlett's type adjustment or Cornish-Fisher's type adjustment under nonnormality coincides with that in Anderson [An Introduction to Multivariate Statistical Analysis, second ed., 1984 and third ed., 2003, Wiley, New York] under normality. The performance of higher-order results in finite samples is examined using simulation studies.     

State space models on special manifolds

This paper concerns modeling time series observations in state space forms considered on the Stiefel and Grassmann manifolds. We develop a state space model relating the time series observations to a sequence of unobserved state or parameter matrices assuming the matrix Langevin noise processes on the Stiefel manifolds. We show a Bayes method for estimating the state matrices by the posterior modes. We consider a further extended state space model where two sequences of unobserved state matrices are involved. A simple state space model on the Grassmann manifolds with matrix Langevin noise processes is also investigated.     

Statistical inference using a weighted difference-based series approach for partially linear regression models

Partially linear regression models with fixed effects are useful tools for making econometric analyses and normalizing microarray data. Baltagi and Li (2002) [7] proposed a computation friendly difference-based series estimation (DSE) for them. We show that the DSE is not asymptotically efficient in most cases and further propose a weighted difference-based series estimation (WDSE). The weights in it do not involve any unknown parameters. The asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are established for both balanced and unbalanced cases, and it is shown that they achieve a semiparametric efficient boundary. Additionally, we propose a variable selection procedure for identifying significant covariates in the parametric part of the semiparametric fixed-effects regression model. The method is based on a combination of the nonconcave penalization (Fan and Li, 2001 [13]) and weighted difference-based series estimation techniques. The resulting estimators have the oracle property; that is, they can correctly identify the true model as if the true model (the subset of variables with nonvanishing coefficients) were known in advance. Simulation studies are conducted and an application is given to demonstrate the finite sample performance of the proposed procedures.     

Finite Element Approximation of Elliptic Dirichlet Optimal Control Problems

We develop a priori error analysis for the finite element Galerkin discretization of elliptic Dirichlet optimal control problems. The state equation is given by an elliptic partial differential equation and the finite dimensional control variable enters the Dirichlet boundary conditions. We prove the optimal order of convergence and present a numerical example confirming our results.     

Cramér–Karhunen–Loève representation and harmonic principal component analysis of functional time series

We develop a doubly spectral representation of a stationary functional time series, and study the properties of its empirical version. The representation decomposes the time series into an integral of uncorrelated frequency components (Cramér representation), each of which is in turn expanded in a Karhunen–Loève series. The construction is based on the spectral density operator, the functional analogue of the spectral density matrix, whose eigenvalues and eigenfunctions at different frequencies provide the building blocks of the representation. By truncating the representation at a finite level, we obtain a harmonic principal component analysis of the time series, an optimal finite dimensional reduction of the time series that captures both the temporal dynamics of the process, as well as the within-curve dynamics. Empirical versions of the decompositions are introduced, and a rigorous analysis of their large-sample behaviour is provided, that does not require any prior structural assumptions such as linearity or Gaussianity of the functional time series, but rather hinges on Brillinger-type mixing conditions involving cumulants.     

Approximating posterior probabilities in a linear model with possibly noninvertible moving average errors

The method of Laplace is used to approximate posterior probabilities for a collection of polynomial regression models when the errors follow a process with a noninvertible moving average component. These results are useful in the problem of period-change analysis of variable stars and in assessing the posterior probability that a time series with trend has been overdifferenced. The nonstandard covariance structure induced by a noninvertible moving average process can invalidate the standard Laplace method. A number of analytical tools is used to produce corrected Laplace approximations. These tools include viewing the covariance matrix of the observations as tending to a differential operator. The use of such an operator and its Green's function provides a convenient and systematic method of asymptotically inverting the covariance matrix.In certain cases there are two different Laplace approximations, and the appropriate one to use depends upon unknown parameters. This problem is dealt with by using a weighted geometric mean of the candidate approximations, where the weights are completely data-based and such that, asymptotically, the correct approximation is used. The new methodology is applied to an analysis of the prototypical long-period variable star known as Mira.     

Latent models for cross-covariance

We consider models for the covariance between two blocks of variables. Such models are often used in situations where latent variables are believed to present. In this paper we characterize exactly the set of distributions given by a class of models with one-dimensional latent variables. These models relate two blocks of observed variables, modeling only the cross-covariance matrix. We describe the relation of this model to the singular value decomposition of the cross-covariance matrix. We show that, although the model is underidentified, useful information may be extracted. We further consider an alternative parameterization in which one latent variable is associated with each block, and we extend the result to models with r-dimensional latent variables.     

Large time asymptotic problems for optimal stochastic control with superlinear cost

The paper is concerned with stochastic control problems of finite time horizon whose running cost function is of superlinear growth with respect to the control variable. We prove that, as the time horizon tends to infinity, the value function converges to a function of variable separation type which is characterized by an ergodic stochastic control problem. Asymptotic problems of this type arise in utility maximization problems in mathematical finance. From the PDE viewpoint, our results concern the large time behavior of solutions to semilinear parabolic equations with superlinear nonlinearity in gradients.     

Adaptive minimax testing in the discrete regression scheme

We consider the problem of testing hypotheses on the regression function from n observations on the regular grid on [0,1]. We wish to test the null hypothesis that the regression function belongs to a given functional class (parametric or even nonparametric) against a composite nonparametric alternative. The functions under the alternative are separated in the L₂-norm from any function in the null hypothesis. We assume that the regression function belongs to a wide range of Hölder classes but as the smoothness parameter of the regression function is unknown, an adaptive approach is considered. It leads to an optimal and unavoidable loss of order Open image in new window in the minimax rate of testing compared with the non-adaptive setting. We propose a smoothness-free test that achieves the optimal rate, and finally we prove the lower bound showing that no test can be consistent if in the distance between the functions under the null hypothesis and those in the alternative, the loss is of order smaller than the optimal loss.     

Mixed Finite Element Methods for Fourth Order Elliptic Optimal Control Problems

In this paper, a priori error estimates are derived for the mixed finite element discretization of optimal control problems governed by fourth order elliptic partial differential equations. The state and co-state are discretized by Raviart-Thomas mixed finite element spaces and the control variable is approximated by piecewise constant functions. The error estimates derived for the state variable as well as those for the control variable seem to be new. We illustrate with a numerical example to confirm our theoretical results.     

Maximum likelihood estimation for all-pass time series models

An autoregressive-moving average model in which all roots of the autoregressive polynomial are reciprocals of roots of the moving average polynomial and vice versa is called an all-pass time series model. All-pass models generate uncorrelated (white noise) time series, but these series are not independent in the non-Gaussian case. An approximate likelihood for a causal all-pass model is given and used to establish asymptotic normality for maximum likelihood estimators under general conditions. Behavior of the estimators for finite samples is studied via simulation. A two-step procedure using all-pass models to identify and estimate noninvertible autoregressive-moving average models is developed and used in the deconvolution of a simulated water gun seismogram.     

Asymptotics for estimation and testing procedures under loss of identifiability

Statistical analyses commonly make use of models that suffer from loss of identifiability. In this paper, we address important issues related to the parameter estimation and hypothesis testing in models with loss of identifiability. That is, there are multiple parameter points corresponding to the same true model. We refer the set of these parameter points to as the set of true parameter values. We consider the case where the set of true parameter values is allowed to be very large or even infinite, some parameter values may lie on the boundary of the parameter space, and the data are not necessarily independently and identically distributed. Our results are applicable to a large class of estimators and their related testing statistics derived from optimizing an objective function such as a likelihood. We examine three specific examples: (i) a finite mixture logistic regression model; (ii) stationary ARMA processes; (iii) general quadratic approximation using Hellinger distance. The applications to these examples demonstrate the applicability of our results in a broad range of difficult statistical problems.     

Quantization and clustering with Bregman divergences

This paper deals with the problem of quantization of a random variable X taking values in a separable and reflexive Banach space, and with the related question of clustering independent random observations distributed as X. To this end, we use a quantization scheme with a class of distortion measures called Bregman divergences, and provide conditions ensuring the existence of an optimal quantizer and an empirically optimal quantizer. Rates of convergence are also discussed.     

The Wiener Sequential Testing Problem with Finite Horizon

We present a solution of the Bayesian problem of sequential testing of two simple hypotheses about the mean value of an observed Wiener process on the time interval with finite horizon. The method of proof is based on reducing the initial optimal stopping problem to a parabolic free-boundary problem where the continuation region is determined by two continuous curved boundaries. By means of the change-of-variable formula containing the local time of a diffusion process on curves we show that the optimal boundaries can be characterized as a unique solution of the coupled system of two nonlinear integral equations.     

The Wiener disorder problem with finite horizon

The Wiener disorder problem seeks to determine a stopping time which is as close as possible to the (unknown) time of ‘disorder’ when the drift of an observed Wiener process changes from one value to another. In this paper we present a solution of the Wiener disorder problem when the horizon is finite. The method of proof is based on reducing the initial problem to a parabolic free-boundary problem where the continuation region is determined by a continuous curved boundary. By means of the change-of-variable formula containing the local time of a diffusion process on curves we show that the optimal boundary can be characterized as a unique solution of the nonlinear integral equation.     

Variations on seven points: An introduction to the scope and methods of coding theory and finite geometries

We use a simple example (the projective plane on seven points) to give an introductory survey on the problems and methods in finite geometries — an area of mathematics related to geometry, combinatorial theory, algebra, group theory and number theory as well as to applied mathematics (e.g., coding theory, information theory, statistical design of experiments, tomography, cryptography, etc.). As this list already indicates, finite geometries is — both from the point of view of pure mathematics and from that of applications related to computer science and communication engineering — one of the most interesting and active fields of mathematics. It is the aim of this paper to introduce the nonspecialist to some of these aspects.To Professor Günter Pickert on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Wavelet methods for continuous-time prediction using Hilbert-valued autoregressive processes

We consider the prediction problem of a continuous-time stochastic process on an entire time-interval in terms of its recent past. The approach we adopt is based on the notion of autoregressive Hilbert processes that represent a generalization of the classical autoregressive processes to random variables with values in a Hilbert space. A careful analysis reveals, in particular, that this approach is related to the theory of function estimation in linear ill-posed inverse problems. In the deterministic literature, such problems are usually solved by suitable regularization techniques. We describe some recent approaches from the deterministic literature that can be adapted to obtain fast and feasible predictions. For large sample sizes, however, these approaches are not computationally efficient.With this in mind, we propose three linear wavelet methods to efficiently address the aforementioned prediction problem. We present regularization techniques for the sample paths of the stochastic process and obtain consistency results of the resulting prediction estimators. We illustrate the performance of the proposed methods in finite sample situations by means of a real-life data example which concerns with the prediction of the entire annual cycle of climatological El Niño-Southern Oscillation time series 1 year ahead. We also compare the resulting predictions with those obtained by other methods available in the literature, in particular with a smoothing spline interpolation method and with a SARIMA model.