Learning from a lot: Empirical Bayes for high‐dimensional model‐based prediction

Empirical Bayes is a versatile approach to “learn from a lot” in two ways: first, from a large number of variables and, second, from a potentially large amount of prior information, for example, stored in public repositories. We review applications of a variety of empirical Bayes methods to several well‐known model‐based prediction methods, including penalized regression, linear discriminant analysis, and Bayesian models with sparse or dense priors. We discuss “formal” empirical Bayes methods that maximize the marginal likelihood but also more informal approaches based on other data summaries. We contrast empirical Bayes to cross‐validation and full Bayes and discuss hybrid approaches. To study the relation between the quality of an empirical Bayes estimator and p, the number of variables, we consider a simple empirical Bayes estimator in a linear model setting. We argue that empirical Bayes is particularly useful when the prior contains multiple parameters, which model a priori information on variables termed “co‐data”. In particular, we present two novel examples that allow for co‐data: first, a Bayesian spike‐and‐slab setting that facilitates inclusion of multiple co‐data sources and types and, second, a hybrid empirical Bayes–full Bayes ridge regression approach for estimation of the posterior predictive interval.     

Hard thresholding regression

In this paper, we propose the hard thresholding regression (HTR) for estimating high‐dimensional sparse linear regression models. HTR uses a two‐stage convex algorithm to approximate the ?₀‐penalized regression: The first stage calculates a coarse initial estimator, and the second stage identifies the oracle estimator by borrowing information from the first one. Theoretically, the HTR estimator achieves the strong oracle property over a wide range of regularization parameters. Numerical examples and a real data example lend further support to our proposed methodology.     

Generalized estimator of population mean by using conventional and non-conventional measures in the presence of measurement errors

In survey research, it is assumed that reported response by the individual is correct. However, given the issues of prestige bias, self-respect, respondent's reported data often produces estimated values which are highly deviated from the true values. This causes measurement error (ME) to be present in the sample estimates. In this article, the estimation of population mean in the presence of measurement error using information on a single auxiliary variable is studied. A generalized estimator of population mean is proposed. The class of estimators is obtained by using some conventional and non-conventional measures. Simulation and numerical study is also conducted to assess the performance of estimators in the presence and absence of measurement error.     

Instrumental variable based variable selection for generalized linear models with endogenous covariates

We study the variable selection problem for a class of generalized linear models with endogenous covariates. Based on the instrumental variable adjustment technology and the smooth-threshold estimating equation (SEE) method, we propose an instrumental variable based variable selection procedure. The proposed variable selection method can attenuate the effect of endogeneity in covariates, and is easy for application in practice. Some theoretical results are also derived such as the consistency of the proposed variable selection procedure and the convergence rate of the resulting estimator. Further, some simulation studies and a real data analysis are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, and simulation results show that the proposed method is workable.     

Fast and approximate exhaustive variable selection for generalised linear models with APES

We present APproximated Exhaustive Search (APES), which enables fast and approximated exhaustive variable selection in Generalised Linear Models (GLMs). While exhaustive variable selection remains as the gold standard in many model selection contexts, traditional exhaustive variable selection suffers from computational feasibility issues. More precisely, there is often a high cost associated with computing maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) for all subsets of GLMs. Efficient algorithms for exhaustive searches exist for linear models, most notably the leaps‐and‐bound algorithm and, more recently, the mixed integer optimisation (MIO) algorithm. The APES method learns from observational weights in a generalised linear regression super‐model and reformulates the GLM problem as a linear regression problem. In this way, APES can approximate a true exhaustive search in the original GLM space. Where exhaustive variable selection is not computationally feasible, we propose a best‐subset search, which also closely approximates a true exhaustive search. APES is made available in both as a standalone R package as well as part of the already existing mplot package.     

政策变量与中国社会分层结构的调整

当代中国的改革是不断用政策来修正制度或体制。改革就是对政策、法规和体制的调整,这种调整最终体现为人们利益关系的变化,用分层理论表述则最终体现为调整社会分层结构。当代中国的政策调整自改革开放以来分为两个重要时期,一个是1992年邓小平南巡讲话以后;一个是2002年中共十六大以后。当前政策调整的趋势,明显地增加了公平方面的政策变量,试图使社会资源的配置向普惠的方向调整。但从2007年算起,尚需要三十三年才能将中国调整成一个中等收入层为主体的社会分层结构。所以,对社会结构的调整,需要做长时期的努力。     

可变产能的按订单装配系统库存和生产决策研究

本文基于一个ATO 生产商的实践,考虑一个需求不确定并具有子装配件的单周期ATO 系统,为了应对较长的采购提前期和有限产能的挑战,生产商可以在得到确定的需求之前提前采购零件,装配子装配件以至于最终产品。由于产品物料清单结构中存在子装配件作为可选的中间件,因此完全使用零件和使用子装配件装配最终产品的不同,造成装配能力在时间上具有可变性。我们对此问题建立了利润最大化模型,分析在上述ATO 环境中的最优库存和生产决策。通过一系列最优解的性质,我们得到了该问题的有效解决方法。     

单指标非参数期权定价——改进的非参数定价方法

本文建立一种改进的非参数期权定价模型,称为单指标非参数期权定价模型。相比现有非参数回归期权定价模型是期权价格关于各个因素的多元回归函数,本模型通过变量变换把期权价格多个因素指标转换为一个综合变量——单指标,得到期权价格关于单指标的一元非参数回归方程。改进的模型实现了多元非参数期权定价模型的降维和简化了模型计算;还通过多个期限期权的单指标组合解决了非参数估计的样本数量问题;以及通过期限平滑解决了现有非参数定价模型中的日历效应问题。选取上证50ETF期权数据实证分析表明,无论是样本内的估计结果还是样本外的预测结果都比传统的Black-Scholes模型、半参数Black-Scholes模型和多元非参数回归期权定价模型估计效果有提高。     

A Method to Handle Zero Counts in the Multinomial Model

In the context of an objective Bayesian approach to the multinomial model, Dirichlet(a, …, a) priors with a < 1 have previously been shown to be inadequate in the presence of zero counts, suggesting that the uniform prior (a = 1) is the preferred candidate. In the presence of many zero counts, however, this prior may not be satisfactory either. A model selection approach is proposed, allowing for the possibility of zero parameters corresponding to zero count categories. This approach results in a posterior mixture of Dirichlet distributions and marginal mixtures of beta distributions, which seem to avoid the problems that potentially result from the various proposed Dirichlet priors, in particular in the context of extreme data with zero counts.