Prediction focussed model selection for autoregressive models.

In order to make predictions of future values of a time series, one needs to specify a forecasting model. A popular choice is an autoregressive time series model, where the order of the model is chosen by an information criterion. We propose an extension of the Focussed Information Criterion (FIC) for model-order selection with focus on a high predictive accuracy (i.e.themeansquaredforecasterrorislow). We obtain theoretical results and illustrate in a simulation study that this FIC can outperform classical order selection criteria in the setting with one series to predict and a different series for parameter estimation. We also demonstrate, via a simulation study and some real data examples, that in the practical setting of only one available time series, the performance of the FIC is comparable to the performance of other information criteria.Choice; Criteria; Data; Focussed information criterion; Forecasting; Information; Model; Model selection; Models; Order; Performance; Prediction; Predictions; Selection; Simulation; Studies; Time; Time series; Value;

Model selection criteria and quadratic discrimination in ARMA and SETAR time series models

We show that analyzing model selection in ARMA time series models as a quadratic discrimination problem provides a unifying approach for deriving model selection criteria. Also this approach suggest a different definition of expected likelihood that the one proposed by Akaike. This approach leads to including a correction term in the criteria which does not modify their large sample performance but can produce significant improvement in the performance of the criteria in small samples. Thus we propose a family of criteria which generalizes the commonly used model selection criteria. These ideas can be extended to self exciting autoregressive models (SETAR) and we generalize the proposed approach for these non linear time series models. A Monte-Carlo study shows that this family improves the finite sample performance of criteria such as AIC, corrected AIC and BIC, for ARMA models, and AIC, corrected AIC, BIC and some cross-validation criteria for SETAR models. In particular, for small and medium sample size the frequency of selecting the true model improves for the consistent criteria and the root mean square error of prediction improves for the efficient criteria. These results are obtained for both linear ARMA models and SETAR models in which we assume that the threshold and the parameters are unknown

MODEL SELECTION CRITERIA AND QUADRATIC DISCRIMINATION IN ARMA AND SETAR TIME SERIES MODELS

We show that analyzing model selection in ARMA time series models as a quadratic discrimination problem provides a unifying approach for deriving model selection criteria. Also this approach suggest a different definition of expected likelihood that the one proposed by Akaike. This approach leads to including a correction term in the criteria which does not modify their large sample performance but can produce significant improvement in the performance of the criteria in small samples. Thus we propose a family of criteria which generalizes the commonly used model selection criteria. These ideas can be extended to self exciting autoregressive models (SETAR) and we generalize the proposed approach for these non linear time series models. A Monte-Carlo study shows that this family improves the finite sample performance of criteria such as AIC, corrected AIC and BIC, for ARMA models, and AIC, corrected AIC, BIC and some cross-validation criteria for SETAR models. In particular, for small and medium sample size the frequency of selecting the true model improves for the consistent criteria and the root mean square error of prediction improves for the efficient criteria. These results are obtained for both linear ARMA models and SETAR models in which we assume that the threshold and the parameters are unknown.

Multivariate analysis in vector time series

This paper reviews the applications of classical multivariate techniques for discrimination, clustering and dimension reduction for time series data. It is shown that the discrimination problem can be seen as a model selection problem. Some of the results obtained in the time domain are reviewed. Clustering time series requires the definition of an adequate metric between univariate time series and several possible metrics are analyzed. Dimension reduction has been a very active line of research in the time series literature and the dynamic principal components or canonical analysis of Box and Tiao (1977) and the factor model as developed by Peña and Box (1987) and Peña and Poncela (1998) are analyzed. The relation between the nonstationary factor model and the cointegration literature is also reviewed

Characterizing economic trends by Bayesian stochastic model specification search

We apply a recently proposed Bayesian model selection technique, known as stochastic model specification search, for characterising the nature of the trend in macroeconomic time series. We illustrate that the methodology can be quite successfully applied to discriminate between stochastic and deterministic trends. In particular, we formulate autoregressive models with stochastic trends components and decide on whether a specific feature of the series, i.e. the underlying level and/or the rate of drift, are fixed or evolutive.Bayesian model selection; stationarity; unit roots; stochastic trends; variable selection.

Model Selection Criteria for Segmented Time Series from a Bayesian Approach to Information Compression

The principle that the simplest model capable of describing observed phenomena should also correspond to the best description has long been a guiding rule of inference. In this paper a Bayesian approach to formally implementing this principle is employed to develop model selection criteria for detecting structural change in financial and economic time series. Model selection criteria which allow for multiple structural breaks and which seek the optimal model order and parameter choices within regimes are derived. Comparative simulations against other popular information based model selection criteria are performed. Application of the derived criteria are also made to example financial and economic time series.Complexity theory; segmentation; break points; change points; model selection; model choice.

Empirical Information Criteria for Time Series Forecasting Model Selection

In this paper, we propose a new Empirical Information Criterion (EIC) for model selection which penalizes the likelihood of the data by a function of the number of parameters in the model. It is designed to be used where there are a large number of time series to be forecast. However, a bootstrap version of the EIC can be used where there is a single time series to be forecast. The EIC provides a data-driven model selection tool that can be tuned to the particular forecasting task. We compare the EIC with other model selection criteria including Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) and Schwarz's Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The comparisons show that for the M3 forecasting competition data, the EIC outperforms both the AIC and BIC, particularly for longer forecast horizons. We also compare the criteria on simulated data and find that the EIC does better than existing criteria in that case also.Exponential smoothing; forecasting; information criteria; M3 competition; model selection.