3,845 research outputs found
tgp: An R Package for Bayesian Nonstationary, Semiparametric Nonlinear Regression and Design by Treed Gaussian Process Models
The tgp package for R is a tool for fully Bayesian nonstationary, semiparametric nonlinear regression and design by treed Gaussian processes with jumps to the limiting linear model. Special cases also implemented include Bayesian linear models, linear CART, stationary separable and isotropic Gaussian processes. In addition to inference and posterior prediction, the package supports the (sequential) design of experiments under these models paired with several objective criteria. 1-d and 2-d plotting, with higher dimension projection and slice capabilities, and tree drawing functions (requiring maptree and combinat packages), are also provided for visualization of tgp objects.
The State Space Models Toolbox for MATLAB
State Space Models (SSM) is a MATLAB toolbox for time series analysis by state space methods. The software features fully interactive construction and combination of models, with support for univariate and multivariate models, complex time-varying (dy- namic) models, non-Gaussian models, and various standard models such as ARIMA and structural time-series models. The software includes standard functions for Kalman fil- tering and smoothing, simulation smoothing, likelihood evaluation, parameter estimation, signal extraction and forecasting, with incorporation of exact initialization for filters and smoothers, and support for missing observations and multiple time series input with com- mon analysis structure. The software also includes implementations of TRAMO model selection and Hillmer-Tiao decomposition for ARIMA models. The software will provide a general toolbox for time series analysis on the MATLAB platform, allowing users to take advantage of its readily available graph plotting and general matrix computation capabilities.
Templates for Convex Cone Problems with Applications to Sparse Signal Recovery
This paper develops a general framework for solving a variety of convex cone
problems that frequently arise in signal processing, machine learning,
statistics, and other fields. The approach works as follows: first, determine a
conic formulation of the problem; second, determine its dual; third, apply
smoothing; and fourth, solve using an optimal first-order method. A merit of
this approach is its flexibility: for example, all compressed sensing problems
can be solved via this approach. These include models with objective
functionals such as the total-variation norm, ||Wx||_1 where W is arbitrary, or
a combination thereof. In addition, the paper also introduces a number of
technical contributions such as a novel continuation scheme, a novel approach
for controlling the step size, and some new results showing that the smooth and
unsmoothed problems are sometimes formally equivalent. Combined with our
framework, these lead to novel, stable and computationally efficient
algorithms. For instance, our general implementation is competitive with
state-of-the-art methods for solving intensively studied problems such as the
LASSO. Further, numerical experiments show that one can solve the Dantzig
selector problem, for which no efficient large-scale solvers exist, in a few
hundred iterations. Finally, the paper is accompanied with a software release.
This software is not a single, monolithic solver; rather, it is a suite of
programs and routines designed to serve as building blocks for constructing
complete algorithms.Comment: The TFOCS software is available at http://tfocs.stanford.edu This
version has updated reference
Valuing conservation benefits of an offshore marine protected area
Increasing anthropogenic pressure in the offshore marine environment highlights the need for improved management and conservation of offshore ecosystems. This study scrutinises the applicability of a discrete choice experiment to value the expected benefits arising from the conservation of an offshore sandbank in UK waters. The valuation scenario refers to the UK part of the Dogger Bank, in the southern North Sea, and is based on real-world management options for fisheries, wind farms and marine protection currently under discussion for the site. It is assessed to what extent the general public perceive and value conservation benefits arising from an offshore marine protected area. The survey reveals support for marine conservation measures despite the general public's limited prior knowledge of current marine planning. Results further show significant values for an increase in species diversity, the protection of certain charismatic species and a restriction in the spread of invasive species across the site. Implications for policy and management with respect to commercial fishing, wind farm construction and nature conservation are discussed
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