Robust graphical modeling of gene networks using classical and alternative T-distributions

Graphical Gaussian models have proven to be useful tools for exploring network structures based on multivariate data. Applications to studies of gene expression have generated substantial interest in these models, and resulting recent progress includes the development of fitting methodology involving penalization of the likelihood function. In this paper we advocate the use of multivariate $t$-distributions for more robust inference of graphs. In particular, we demonstrate that penalized likelihood inference combined with an application of the EM algorithm provides a computationally efficient approach to model selection in the $t$-distribution case. We consider two versions of multivariate $t$-distributions, one of which requires the use of approximation techniques. For this distribution, we describe a Markov chain Monte Carlo EM algorithm based on a Gibbs sampler as well as a simple variational approximation that makes the resulting method feasible in large problems.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS410 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Large deviations of an infinite-server system with a linearly scaled background process

This paper studies an infinite-server queue in a Markov environment, that is, an infinite-server queue with arrival rates and service times depending on the state of a Markovian background process. We focus on the probability that the number of jobs in the system attains an unusually high value. Scaling the arrival rates ¿i¿i by a factor NN and the transition rates ¿ij¿ij of the background process as well, a large-deviations based approach is used to examine such tail probabilities (where NN tends to 88). The paper also presents qualitative properties of the system’s behavior conditional on the rare event under consideration happening. Keywords: Queues; Infinite-server systems; Markov modulation; Large deviation

Tail estimates for homogenization theorems in random media

It is known that a random walk on $\Z^d$ among i.i.d. uniformly elliptic random bond conductances verifies a central limit theorem. It is also known that approximations of the covariance matrix can be obtained by considering periodic environments. Here we estimate the speed of convergence of this homogenization result. We obtain similar estimates for finite volume approximations of the effective conductance and of the lowest Dirichlet eigenvalue. A lower bound is also given for the variance of the Green function of a random walk in a random non-negative potential.Comment: 26 page