Inference for linear and nonlinear stable error processes via estimating functions

This paper describes an estimating function approach for parameter estimation in linear and nonlinear times series models with infinite variance stable errors. Joint estimates of location and scale parameters are derived for classes of autoregressive (AR) models and random coefficient autoregressive (RCA) models with stable errors, as well as for AR models with stable autoregressive conditionally heteroscedastic (ARCH) errors. Fast, on-line, recursive parametric estimation for the location parameter based on estimating functions is discussed using simulation studies. A real financial time series is also discussed in some detail.     

On parameter estimation for locally stationary long-memory processes

We consider parameter estimation for time-dependent locally stationary long-memory processes. The asymptotic distribution of an estimator based on the local infinite autoregressive representation is derived, and asymptotic formulas for the mean squared error of the estimator, and the asymptotically optimal bandwidth are obtained. In spite of long memory, the optimal bandwidth turns out to be of the order n^-1/5$n^{-1/5}$ and inversely proportional to the square of the second derivative of d. In this sense, local estimation of d is comparable to regression smoothing with iid residuals.     

Equivalence of Gaussian measures for some nonstationary random fields

Gaussian random fields whose covariance structures are described by a power law model provide a simple and flexible class of models for isotropic random fields. This class includes fractional Brownian fields as a special case. Because these random fields are nonstationary, the extensive results available on equivalence of Gaussian measures for stationary models do not apply to them. This work shows that results on equivalence for two stationary Gaussian random field models extend in a natural way to the equivalence of a stationary model and a power law model. This result is used to show that if we use a power law model for predicting a random field at unobserved locations when in fact the random field is stationary, we can obtain asymptotically optimal predictions as long as the high frequency behavior of the true spectral density is sufficiently close to the high frequency behavior of the spectral density of the power law model.     

Geometric ergodicity of nonlinear autoregressive models with changing conditional variances

The authors give easy‐to‐check sufficient conditions for the geometric ergodicity and the finiteness of the moments of a random process x_t = ?(x_t‐1,…, x_t‐p) + ?_tσ(x_t‐1,…, x_t‐q) in which ?: R^p → R, σ R^q → R and (?_t) is a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables. They deduce strong mixing properties for this class of nonlinear autoregressive models with changing conditional variances which includes, among others, the ARCH(p), the AR(p)‐ARCH(p), and the double‐threshold autoregressive models.     

Sequential empirical process in autoregressive models with measurement errors

In this paper, we study the weak convergence of the sequential empirical process based on the residuals from autoregressive models with measurement errors. It is shown that the sequential empirical process converges weakly to the sum of a Gaussian process which is the limit of a sequential empirical process of certain p-dependent random variables and an additional term depending on the parameter estimators of the model. As an application, we discuss the change point problem in the distribution of the error process in the autoregressive model. We present the numerical result of a simulation study for an asymptotically distribution-free test.     

Simultaneous sparse model selection and coefficient estimation for heavy-tailed autoregressive processes

We propose a sparse coefficient estimation and automated model selection procedure for autoregressive processes with heavy-tailed innovations based on penalized conditional maximum likelihood. Under mild moment conditions on the innovation processes, the penalized conditional maximum likelihood estimator satisfies a strong consistency, O_P(N^?1/2) consistency, and the oracle properties, where N is the sample size. We have the freedom in choosing penalty functions based on the weak conditions on them. Two penalty functions, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and smoothly clipped average deviation, are compared. The proposed method provides a distribution-based penalized inference to AR models, which is especially useful when the other estimation methods fail or under perform for AR processes with heavy-tailed innovations [Feigin, Resnick. Pitfalls of fitting autoregressive models for heavy-tailed time series. Extremes. 1999;1:391–422]. A simulation study confirms our theoretical results. At the end, we apply our method to a historical price data of the US Industrial Production Index for consumer goods, and obtain very promising results.     

Bayesian estimation and the application of long memory stochastic volatility models

A new sampling-based Bayesian approach to the long memory stochastic volatility (LMSV) process is presented; the method is motivated by the GPH-estimator in fractionally integrated autoregressive moving average (ARFIMA) processes, which was originally proposed by J. Geweke and S. Porter-Hudak [The estimation and application of long memory time series models, Journal of Time Series Analysis, 4 (1983) 221–238]. In this work, we perform an estimation of the memory parameter in the Bayesian framework; an estimator is obtained by maximizing the posterior density of the memory parameter. Finally, we compare the GPH-estimator and the Bayes-estimator by means of a simulation study and our new approach is illustrated using several stock market indices; the new estimator is proved to be relatively stable for the various choices of frequencies used in the regression.     

A Case Study for Modelling Cancer Incidence Using Bayesian Spatio‐Temporal Models

Researchers familiar with spatial models are aware of the challenge of choosing the level of spatial aggregation. Few studies have been published on the investigation of temporal aggregation and its impact on inferences regarding disease outcome in space–time analyses. We perform a case study for modelling individual disease outcomes using several Bayesian hierarchical spatio‐temporal models, while taking into account the possible impact of spatial and temporal aggregation. Using longitudinal breast cancer data from South East Queensland, Australia, we consider both parametric and non‐parametric formulations for temporal effects at various levels of aggregation. Two temporal smoothness priors are considered separately; each is modelled with fixed effects for the covariates and an intrinsic conditional autoregressive prior for the spatial random effects. Our case study reveals that different model formulations produce considerably different model performances. For this particular dataset, a classical parametric formulation that assumes a linear time trend produces the best fit among the five models considered. Different aggregation levels of temporal random effects were found to have little impact on model goodness‐of‐fit and estimation of fixed effects.     

Empirical Likelihood for First-order Autoregressive Error-in-variable of Models With Validation Data

In this article, we consider the empirical likelihood for the autoregressive error-in-explanatory variable models. With the help of validation, we first develop an empirical likelihood ratio test statistic for the parameters of interest, and prove that its asymptotic distribution is that of a weighted sum of independent standard χ²₁ random variables with unknown weights. Also, we propose an adjusted empirical likelihood and prove that its asymptotic distribution is a standard χ². Furthermore, an empirical likelihood-based confidence region is given. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method works well for practical situations.     

La méthode de vraisemblance pour les processus linéaires spatiaux définis sur un treillis triangulaire

Spatial linear processes {X_s, s ? T} where T is a triangular lattice in R² are considered. Special attention is given to the class of spatial moving-average processes. Precisely, for each site s T, the variable X_s is defined as a linear combination of real-valued random shocks located at the vertices of regular concentric hexagons centered at s. For Gaussian random shocks, the process is also Gaussian, and estimates of its parameters are obtained by maximizing the exact likelihood. For non-Gaussian random shocks, the exact likelihood is difficult to obtain; however, the Gaussian likelihood is still used giving the pseudo-Gaussian likelihood estimates. The behaviour of these estimates is analyzed through the study of asymptotic properties and some simulation experiments based on an isotropic model defined with one coefficient.     

Memory properties and aggregation of spatial autoregressive models

A random field displays long (resp. short) memory when its covariance function is absolutely non-summable (resp. summable), or alternatively when its spectral density (spectrum) is unbounded (resp. bounded) at some frequencies. Drawing on the spectrum approach, this paper characterizes both short and long memory features in the spatial autoregressive model. The data generating process is presented as a sequence of spatial autoregressive micro-relationships. The study elaborates the exact conditions under which short and long memories emerge for micro-relationships and for the aggregated field as well. To study the spectrum of the aggregated field, we develop a new general concept referred to as the ‘root order of a function’. This concept might be usefully applied in studying the convergence of some special integrals. We illustrate our findings with simulation experiments and an empirical application based on Gross Domestic Product data for 100 countries spanning over 1960–2004.     

Time series modelling of two millennia of northern hemisphere temperatures: long memory or shifting trends?

Summary.  The time series properties of the temperature reconstruction of Moberg and co-workers are analysed. It is found that the record appears to exhibit long memory characteristics that can be modelled by an autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average process that is both stationary and mean reverting, so that forecasts will eventually return to a constant underlying level. Recent research has suggested that long memory and shifts in level and trend may be confused with each other, and fitting models with slowly changing trends is found to remove the evidence of long memory. Discriminating between the two models is difficult, however, and the strikingly different forecasts that are implied by the two models point towards some intriguing research questions concerning the stochastic process driving this temperature reconstruction.     

Generalized integer-valued random coefficient for a first order structure autoregressive (RCINAR) process

A random coefficient autoregressive process for count data based on a generalized thinning operator is presented. Existence and weak stationarity conditions for these models are established. For the particular case of the (generalized) binomial thinning, it is proved that the necessary and sufficient conditions for weak stationarity are the same as those for continuous-valued AR(1) processes. These kinds of processes are appropriate for modelling non-linear integer-valued time series. They allow for over-dispersion and are appropriate when including covariates. Model parameters estimators are calculated and their properties studied analytically and/or through simulation.     

The first-order random coefficient integer valued autoregressive process with the occasional level shift random noise based on dual empirical likelihood

Abstract

This paper investigates the first-order random coefficient integer valued autoregressive process with the occasional level shift random noise based on dual empirical likelihood. The limiting distribution of log empirical likelihood ratio statistic is constructed. Asymptotic convergence and confidence region results of empirical likelihood ratio are given. Hypothesis testing is considering, and maximum empirical likelihood estimation for parameter is acquired. Simulations are given to show that the maximum empirical likelihood estimation is more efficient than the conditional least squares estimation.     

Asymptotic results for random coefficient bifurcating autoregressive processes

The purpose of this paper is to study the asymptotic behaviour of the weighted least-squares estimators of the unknown parameters of random coefficient bifurcating autoregressive processes. Under suitable assumptions on the immigration and the inheritance, we establish the almost sure convergence of our estimators, as well as a quadratic strong law and central limit theorems. Our study mostly relies on limit theorems for vector-valued martingales.     

Parameter estimation for generalized random coefficient autoregressive processes

A generalized random coefficient autoregressive (GRCA) process is introduced in which the random coefficients are permitted to be correlated with the error process. The ordinary random coefficient autoregressive process, the Markovian bilinear model and its generalization, and the random coefficient exponential autoregressive process, among others, are seen to be special cases of the GRCA process. Conditional least squares, and weighted least-squares estimators of the mean of the random coefficient vector are derived and their limit distributions are studied. Estimators of the variance-covariance parameters are also discussed. A simulation study is presented which shows that the weighted least-squares estimator dominates the unweighted least-squares estimator.     

Non-parametric regression for spatially dependent data with wavelets

We study non-parametric regression estimates for random fields. The data satisfies certain strong mixing conditions and is defined on the regular N-dimensional lattice structure. We show consistency and obtain rates of convergence. The rates are optimal modulo a logarithmic factor in some cases. As an application, we estimate the regression function with multidimensional wavelets which are not necessarily isotropic. We simulate random fields on planar graphs with the concept of concliques (cf. [Kaiser MS, Lahiri SN, Nordman DJ. Goodness of fit tests for a class of markov random field models. Ann Statist. 2012;40:104–130]) in numerical examples of the estimation procedure.     

Approximate wavelet-based simulation of long memory processes

In this article, we investigate an algorithm for the fast O(N) and approximate simulation of long memory (LM) processes of length N using the discrete wavelet transform. The algorithm generates stationary processes and is based on the notion that we can improve standard wavelet-based simulation schemes by noting that the decorrelation property of wavelet transforms is not perfect for certain LM process. The method involves the simulation of circular autoregressive process of order one. We demonstrate some of the statistical properties of the processes generated, with some focus on four commonly used LM processes. We compare this simulation method with the white noise wavelet simulation scheme of Percival and Walden [Percival, D. and Walden, A., 2000, Wavelet Methods for Time Series Analysis (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).].     

Sample path properties of an explosive double autoregressive model

This article studies sample path properties of an explosive double autoregressive (DAR) model. After suitable renormalization, it is shown that the sample path converges weakly to a geometric Brownian motion. This further strengthens our understanding of sample paths of nonstationary DAR processes. The obtained results can be extended to nonstationary random coefficient autoregressive (RCA) models. Simulation studies are carried out to support our results.     

Combining estimating functions for volatility

Accurate estimates of volatility are needed in risk management. Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) models and random coefficient autoregressive (RCA) models have been used for volatility modelling. Following Heyde [1997. Quasi-likelihood and its Applications. Springer, New York], volatility estimates are obtained by combining two different estimating functions. It turns out that the combined estimating function for the parameter in autoregressive processes with GARCH errors and RCA models contains maximum information. The combination of the least squares (LS) estimating function and the least absolute deviation (LAD) estimating function with application to GARCH model error identification is discussed as an application.