Estimating monotone convex functions via sequential shape modification

We propose a sequential method to estimate monotone convex functions that consists of: (i) monotone regression via solving a constrained least square (LS) problem and (ii) convexification of the monotone regression estimate via solving a uniform approximation problem with associated constraints. We show that this method is faster than the constrained LS method. The ratio of computation time increases as data size increases. Moreover, we show that, under an appropriate smoothness condition, the uniform convergence rate achieved by the proposed method is nearly comparable to the best achievable rate for a non-parametric estimate which ignores the shape constraint. Simulation studies show that our method is comparable to the constrained LS method in estimation error. We illustrate our method by analysing ground water level data of wells in Korea.     

More on Confidence Intervals for Partially Identified Parameters

This paper extends Imbens and Manski's (2004) analysis of confidence intervals for interval identified parameters. The extension is motivated by the discovery that for their final result, Imbens and Manski implicitly assumed locally superefficient estimation of a nuisance parameter. I reanalyze the problem both with assumptions that merely weaken this superefficiency condition and with assumptions that remove it altogether. Imbens and Manski's confidence region is valid under weaker assumptions than theirs, yet superefficiency is required. I also provide a confidence interval that is valid under superefficiency, but can be adapted to the general case. A methodological contribution is to observe that the difficulty of inference comes from a preestimation problem regarding a nuisance parameter, clarifying the connection to other work on partial identification.     

我国企业会计准则国际趋同效果研究——基于2007～2009年A+H股上市公司的实证分析

文章运用2007～2009年沪深两市A+H股的双重披露差异的实证分析来检验和评价我国企业会计准则的执行效果和国际趋同效果。研究表明,我国企业会计准则已经较好地实现了转换和过渡,执行效果较好,且企业会计准则与国际财务报告准则实现了国际持续趋同,但在执行过程中与国际准则执行存在差异,这种差异产生的原因除了政府补助、企业合并和资产减值这三个准则与国际准则存在较大差异外,对资产的重估或评估价值方面的调整也是双重披露产生差异的重要原因。     

我国区域规划特点、问题及区域发展新格局

我国国家级区域规划不仅成为国家战略布局和区域发展政策的重要工具,同时也应当成为引领区域经济科学发展的行动指南。制定和出台国家级区域规划必须立足于国家整体战略,能够引导区域内各主体一致行动,规划实施的关键在于建立有效的区域协调机制。未来我国沿海经济带将走向＂俱乐部趋同＂,大城市圈对区域资源配置的主导性增强,产业资本将替代劳动力成为要素流动的主体,民族地区经济的战略地位跃升。     

单向收缩QR算法在奇异值分解中的收敛特性

针对大型矩阵奇异值分解的数值计算问题,总结了单向收缩QR算法的特点,通过实例证明了该算法在处理由某些小幅度信号构造的大型矩阵的奇异值分解时存在不收敛的情况。从理论上分析了QR迭代过程中Givens变换矩阵的变化特点,发现算法出现不收敛现象的根本原因在于大型矩阵首行对角带元素的衰减,最终会使QR迭代时的第一个Givens右矩阵变为单位阵,从而导致后面所有Givens矩阵全部成为单位阵,引起QR算法失效。在此基础上进一步研究了首行元素的衰减对QR算法收敛速度的影响。对理论分析用实际数据进行了验证,从本质上探明了该QR算法的收敛特性。     

含参量反常积分局部一致收敛的判别法

将建立在局部一致收敛的概念的基础上,根据局部一致收敛与一致收敛的区别与联系,参照一致收敛的判别法给出含参量反常积分的几种新的判别法。     

Nonparametric covariate adjustment for receiver operating characteristic curves

The accuracy of a diagnostic test is typically characterized using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Summarizing indexes such as the area under the ROC curve (AUC) are used to compare different tests as well as to measure the difference between two populations. Often additional information is available on some of the covariates which are known to influence the accuracy of such measures. The authors propose nonparametric methods for covariate adjustment of the AUC. Models with normal errors and possibly non‐normal errors are discussed and analyzed separately. Nonparametric regression is used for estimating mean and variance functions in both scenarios. In the model that relaxes the assumption of normality, the authors propose a covariate‐adjusted Mann–Whitney estimator for AUC estimation which effectively uses available data to construct working samples at any covariate value of interest and is computationally efficient for implementation. This provides a generalization of the Mann–Whitney approach for comparing two populations by taking covariate effects into account. The authors derive asymptotic properties for the AUC estimators in both settings, including asymptotic normality, optimal strong uniform convergence rates and mean squared error (MSE) consistency. The MSE of the AUC estimators was also assessed in smaller samples by simulation. Data from an agricultural study were used to illustrate the methods of analysis. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 38:27–46; 2010 © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada     

Polynomial Spline Estimation for a Generalized Additive Coefficient Model

Abstract.  We study a semiparametric generalized additive coefficient model (GACM), in which linear predictors in the conventional generalized linear models are generalized to unknown functions depending on certain covariates, and approximate the non-parametric functions by using polynomial spline. The asymptotic expansion with optimal rates of convergence for the estimators of the non-parametric part is established. Semiparametric generalized likelihood ratio test is also proposed to check if a non-parametric coefficient can be simplified as a parametric one. A conditional bootstrap version is suggested to approximate the distribution of the test under the null hypothesis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies are conducted to examine the finite sample performance of the proposed methods. We further apply the proposed model and methods to a data set from a human visceral Leishmaniasis study conducted in Brazil from 1994 to 1997. Numerical results outperform the traditional generalized linear model and the proposed GACM is preferable.     

Fisher's Information for Discretely Sampled Lévy Processes

This paper studies the asymptotic behavior of Fisher's information for a Lévy process discretely sampled at an increasing frequency. As a result, we derive the optimal rates of convergence of efficient estimators of the different parameters of the process and show that the rates are often nonstandard and differ across parameters. We also show that it is possible to distinguish the continuous part of the process from its jumps part, and even different types of jumps from one another.     

Statistical and computational tradeoff in genetic algorithm-based estimation

When a genetic algorithm (GA) is employed in a statistical problem, the result is affected by both variability due to sampling and the stochastic elements of algorithm. Both of these components should be controlled in order to obtain reliable results. In the present work we analyze parametric estimation problems tackled by GAs, and pursue two objectives: the first one is related to a formal variability analysis of final estimates, showing that it can be easily decomposed in the two sources of variability. In the second one we introduce a framework of GA estimation with fixed computational resources, which is a form of statistical and the computational tradeoff question, crucial in recent problems. In this situation the result should be optimal from both the statistical and computational point of view, considering the two sources of variability and the constraints on resources. Simulation studies will be presented for illustrating the proposed method and the statistical and computational tradeoff question.