Sparse Penalized Forward Selection for Support Vector Classification

We propose a new binary classification and variable selection technique especially designed for high-dimensional predictors. Among many predictors, typically, only a small fraction of them have significant impact on prediction. In such a situation, more interpretable models with better prediction accuracy can be obtained by variable selection along with classification. By adding an ?₁-type penalty to the loss function, common classification methods such as logistic regression or support vector machines (SVM) can perform variable selection. Existing penalized SVM methods all attempt to jointly solve all the parameters involved in the penalization problem altogether. When data dimension is very high, the joint optimization problem is very complex and involves a lot of memory allocation. In this article, we propose a new penalized forward search technique that can reduce high-dimensional optimization problems to one-dimensional optimization by iterating the selection steps. The new algorithm can be regarded as a forward selection version of the penalized SVM and its variants. The advantage of optimizing in one dimension is that the location of the optimum solution can be obtained with intelligent search by exploiting convexity and a piecewise linear or quadratic structure of the criterion function. In each step, the predictor that is most able to predict the outcome is chosen in the model. The search is then repeatedly used in an iterative fashion until convergence occurs. Comparison of our new classification rule with ?₁-SVM and other common methods show very promising performance, in that the proposed method leads to much leaner models without compromising misclassification rates, particularly for high-dimensional predictors.     

Bayesian Sparse Group Selection

This article proposes a Bayesian approach for the sparse group selection problem in the regression model. In this problem, the variables are partitioned into different groups. It is assumed that only a small number of groups are active for explaining the response variable, and it is further assumed that within each active group only a small number of variables are active. We adopt a Bayesian hierarchical formulation, where each candidate group is associated with a binary variable indicating whether the group is active or not. Within each group, each candidate variable is also associated with a binary indicator, too. Thus, the sparse group selection problem can be solved by sampling from the posterior distribution of the two layers of indicator variables. We adopt a group-wise Gibbs sampler for posterior sampling. We demonstrate the proposed method by simulation studies as well as real examples. The simulation results show that the proposed method performs better than the sparse group Lasso in terms of selecting the active groups as well as identifying the active variables within the selected groups. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

Clustering Multivariate Longitudinal Observations: The Contaminated Gaussian Hidden Markov Model

The Gaussian hidden Markov model (HMM) is widely considered for the analysis of heterogenous continuous multivariate longitudinal data. To robustify this approach with respect to possible elliptical heavy-tailed departures from normality, due to the presence of outliers, spurious points, or noise (collectively referred to as bad points herein), the contaminated Gaussian HMM is here introduced. The contaminated Gaussian distribution represents an elliptical generalization of the Gaussian distribution and allows for automatic detection of bad points in the same natural way as observations are typically assigned to the latent states in the HMM context. Once the model is fitted, each observation has a posterior probability of belonging to a particular state and, inside each state, of being a bad point or not. In addition to the parameters of the classical Gaussian HMM, for each state we have two more parameters, both with a specific and useful interpretation: one controls the proportion of bad points and one specifies their degree of atypicality. A sufficient condition for the identifiability of the model is given, an expectation-conditional maximization algorithm is outlined for parameter estimation and various operational issues are discussed. Using a large-scale simulation study, but also an illustrative artificial dataset, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model in comparison with HMMs of different elliptical distributions, and we also evaluate the performance of some well-known information criteria in selecting the true number of latent states. The model is finally used to fit data on criminal activities in Italian provinces. Supplementary materials for this article are available online     

Quickest online selection of an increasing subsequence of specified size

Given a sequence of independent random variables with a common continuous distribution, we consider the online decision problem where one seeks to minimize the expected value of the time that is needed to complete the selection of a monotone increasing subsequence of a prespecified length n. This problem is dual to some online decision problems that have been considered earlier, and this dual problem has some notable advantages. In particular, the recursions and equations of optimality lead with relative ease to asymptotic formulas for mean and variance of the minimal selection time. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 49, 235–252, 2016     

The control of chaotic systems with unknown parameters and external disturbance via backstepping‐like scheme

This article addresses the adaptive control of chaotic systems with unknown parameters, model uncertainties, and external disturbance. We first investigate the control of a class of chaotic systems and then discuss the control of general chaotic systems. Based on the backstepping‐like procedure, some novel criteria are proposed via adaptive control scheme. As an example to illustrate the application of the proposed method, the control and synchronization of the modified Chua's chaotic system is also investigated via a single input. Some numerical simulations are given to demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed approach. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 573–583, 2016     

A Trait‐based framework for mutation bias as a driver of long‐term evolutionary trends

Previous work has shown that mutation bias can direct evolutionary trends in genotypic space under strong selection and rare mutation. We present an extension of this work to general traits of the organism. We do this by allowing many different genotypes, with different fitnesses, to have the same trait value. This approach makes novel predictions and shows that the outcome of evolution for a trait is influenced by mutation bias as well as the fitness distribution of the genotypes that have the same trait value. This distribution can alter evolution in interesting ways, depending on the likelihood of generating high fitness mutants. We also show that mutation bias can direct evolution when many mutants are present at any one time. We demonstrate that mutation bias can drive long‐term evolutionary trends when the environment is constantly changing. Under biologically realistic conditions, we show that mutation bias can counter strong gradients of environmental selection over time. We conclude that evolutionary trends can be quite independent of the environment, even when they depress population fitness. Finally, we show that entropy can be a powerful source of mutation bias and can drive evolutionary trends. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 331–345, 2016     

带新熵函数的Entropy-Ultra-bee格式计算线性传输方程

本文研究了线性传输方程的数值解法.利用物理的熵函数得到了一种新的Entropy-Ultrabee格式.数值实验表明该格式长时间计算效果非常好,在间断附近有比较高的分辨率.     

改进的TOPSIS决策方法在供应商选择中的应用

运用马氏距离替代欧式距离改进传统的TOPSIS方法,解决当属性间存在线性相关时欧式距离失效的缺陷;充分考虑对立集合并引入联系向量距离,解决可能存在的方案距离正理想解和负理想解距离都近的缺陷.然后通过决策者偏好系数将马氏距离和联系向量距离所得结果合成新的相对贴近度,从而同时克服传统TOPSIS方法的以上两个缺陷.最后通过供应商选择的实例来验证方法的有效性.     

基于最小交易量和交易费用的多阶段模糊投资组合

考虑了在摩擦市场下的多阶段模糊投资组合模型,基于半绝对方差风险函数,建立了带有最小交易量和交易费用限制的收益最大化多阶段模糊投资组合模型.利用绝对值函数的性质,将模型转化为混合整数线性规划形式,并通过实例验证了模型的可行性,最后对模型与基于可能性均值和可能性方差的多阶段模糊投资组合模型进行了对比,分析了模型的优越性,并验证了模型的可行性.     

Analysis of an Implicit Finite Difference Scheme for Time Fractional Diffusion Equation

Time fractional diffusion equation is usually used to describe the problems involving non-Markovian random walks. This kind of equation is obtained from the standard diffusion equation by replacing the first-order time derivative with a fractional derivative of order α∈(0, 1). In this paper, an implicit finite difference scheme for solving the time fractional diffusion equation with source term is presented and analyzed, where the fractional derivative is described in the Caputo sense. Stability and convergence of this scheme are rigorously established by a Fourier analysis. And using numerical experiments illustrates the accuracy and effectiveness of the scheme mentioned in this paper.