8,988 research outputs found
A Simple Approach to Maximum Intractable Likelihood Estimation
Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) can be viewed as an analytic
approximation of an intractable likelihood coupled with an elementary
simulation step. Such a view, combined with a suitable instrumental prior
distribution permits maximum-likelihood (or maximum-a-posteriori) inference to
be conducted, approximately, using essentially the same techniques. An
elementary approach to this problem which simply obtains a nonparametric
approximation of the likelihood surface which is then used as a smooth proxy
for the likelihood in a subsequent maximisation step is developed here and the
convergence of this class of algorithms is characterised theoretically. The use
of non-sufficient summary statistics in this context is considered. Applying
the proposed method to four problems demonstrates good performance. The
proposed approach provides an alternative for approximating the maximum
likelihood estimator (MLE) in complex scenarios
The Properties of Model Selection when Retaining Theory Variables
Economic theories are often fitted directly to data to avoid possible model selection biases. We show that embedding a theory model that specifies the correct set of m relevant exogenous variables, x{t}, within the larger set of m+k candidate variables, (x{t},w{t}), then selection over the second set by their statistical significance can be undertaken without affecting the estimator distribution of the theory parameters. This strategy returns the theory-parameter estimates when the theory is correct, yet protects against the theory being under-specified because some w{t} are relevant.Model selection, theory retention
Inverse Statistics in the Foreign Exchange Market
We investigate intra-day foreign exchange (FX) time series using the inverse
statistic analysis developed in [1,2]. Specifically, we study the time-averaged
distributions of waiting times needed to obtain a certain increase (decrease)
in the price of an investment. The analysis is performed for the Deutsch
mark (DM) against the US. With high statistical
significance, the presence of "resonance peaks" in the waiting time
distributions is established. Such peaks are a consequence of the trading
habits of the markets participants as they are not present in the corresponding
tick (business) waiting time distributions. Furthermore, a new {\em stylized
fact}, is observed for the waiting time distribution in the form of a power law
Pdf. This result is achieved by rescaling of the physical waiting time by the
corresponding tick time thereby partially removing scale dependent features of
the market activity.Comment: 8 pages. Accepted Physica
Log-periodic self-similarity: an emerging financial law?
A hypothesis that the financial log-periodicity, cascading self-similarity
through various time scales, carries signatures of a law is pursued. It is
shown that the most significant historical financial events can be classified
amazingly well using a single and unique value of the preferred scaling factor
lambda=2, which indicates that its real value should be close to this number.
This applies even to a declining decelerating log-periodic phase. Crucial in
this connection is identification of a "super-bubble" (bubble on bubble)
phenomenon. Identifying a potential "universal" preferred scaling factor, as
undertaken here, may significantly improve the predictive power of the
corresponding methodology. Several more specific related results include
evidence that: (i) the real end of the high technology bubble on the stock
market started (with a decelerating log-periodic draw down) in the begining of
September 2000; (ii) a parallel 2000-2002 decline seen in the Standard & Poor's
500 from the log-periodic perspective is already of the same significance as
the one of the early 1930s and of the late 1970s; (iii) all this points to a
much more serious global crash in around 2025, of course from a level much
higher (at least one order of magnitude) than in 2000.Comment: Talk given by S. Drozdz at International Econophysics Conference,
Bali, August 28-31, 2002; typos correcte
Stock mechanics: a general theory and method of energy conservation with applications on DJIA
A new method, based on the original theory of conservation of sum of kinetic
and potential energy defined for prices is proposed and applied on Dow Jones
Industrials Average (DJIA). The general trends averaged over months or years
gave a roughly conserved total energy, with three different potential energies,
i.e. positive definite quadratic, negative definite quadratic and linear
potential energy for exponential rises (and falls), sinusoidal oscillations and
parabolic trajectories, respectively. Corresponding expressions for force
(impact) are also given. Keywords:Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, scehudled for IJMPC 17/ issue
Energetic Extremes in Aquatic Locomotion by Coral Reef Fishes
Underwater locomotion is challenging due to the high friction and resistance imposed on a body moving through water and energy lost in the wake during undulatory propulsion. While aquatic organisms have evolved streamlined shapes to overcome such resistance, underwater locomotion has long been considered a costly exercise. Recent evidence for a range of swimming vertebrates, however, has suggested that flapping paired appendages around a rigid body may be an extremely efficient means of aquatic locomotion. Using intermittent flow-through respirometry, we found exceptional energetic performance in the Bluelined wrasse Stethojulis bandanensis, which maintains tuna-like optimum cruising speeds (up to 1 metre s(-1)) while using 40% less energy than expected for their body size. Displaying an exceptional aerobic scope (22-fold above resting), streamlined rigid-body posture, and wing-like fins that generate lift-based thrust, S. bandanensis literally flies underwater to efficiently maintain high optimum swimming speeds. Extreme energetic performance may be key to the colonization of highly variable environments, such as the wave-swept habitats where S. bandanensis and other wing-finned species tend to occur. Challenging preconceived notions of how best to power aquatic locomotion, biomimicry of such lift-based fin movements could yield dramatic reductions in the power needed to propel underwater vehicles at high speed.Funding was provided by the Australian Research Council (to CJF) and the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (to JFS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
Selecting a Regression Saturated by Indicators
We consider selecting a regression model, using a variant of Gets, when there are more variables than observations, in the special case that the variables are impulse dummies (indicators) for every observation. We show that the setting is unproblematic if tackled appropriately, and obtain the finite-sample distribution of estimators of the mean and variance in a simple location-scale model under the null that no impulses matter. A Monte Carlo simulation confirms the null distribution, and shows power against an alternative of interest.indicators; regression saturation; subset selection; model selection
Protoplanetary Disk Turbulence Driven by the Streaming Instability: Non-Linear Saturation and Particle Concentration
We present simulations of the non-linear evolution of streaming instabilities
in protoplanetary disks. The two components of the disk, gas treated with grid
hydrodynamics and solids treated as superparticles, are mutually coupled by
drag forces. We find that the initially laminar equilibrium flow spontaneously
develops into turbulence in our unstratified local model. Marginally coupled
solids (that couple to the gas on a Keplerian time-scale) trigger an upward
cascade to large particle clumps with peak overdensities above 100. The clumps
evolve dynamically by losing material downstream to the radial drift flow while
receiving recycled material from upstream. Smaller, more tightly coupled solids
produce weaker turbulence with more transient overdensities on smaller length
scales. The net inward radial drift is decreased for marginally coupled
particles, whereas the tightly coupled particles migrate faster in the
saturated turbulent state. The turbulent diffusion of solid particles, measured
by their random walk, depends strongly on their stopping time and on the
solids-to-gas ratio of the background state, but diffusion is generally modest,
particularly for tightly coupled solids. Angular momentum transport is too weak
and of the wrong sign to influence stellar accretion. Self-gravity and
collisions will be needed to determine the relevance of particle overdensities
for planetesimal formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ (17 pages). Movies of the simulations
can be downloaded at http://www.mpia.de/~johansen/research_en.ph
The Turbulent Magnetic Prandtl Number of MHD Turbulence in Disks
The magnetic Prandtl number Pr_M is the ratio of viscosity to resistivity. In
astrophysical disks the diffusion of angular momentum (viscosity) and magnetic
fields (resistivity) are controlled by turbulence. Phenomenological models of
the evolution of large scale poloidal magnetic fields in disks suggest that the
turbulent magnetic Prandtl number Pr_{M,T} controls the rate of escape of
vertical field from the disk; for Pr_{M,T} leq R/H vertical field diffuses
outward before it can be advected inward by accretion. Here we measure field
diffusion and angular momentum transport due to MHD turbulence in a shearing
box, and thus Pr_{M,T}, by studying the evolution of a sinusoidal perturbation
in the magnetic field that is injected into a turbulent background. We show
that the perturbation is always stable, decays approximately exponentially, has
decay rate proportional to k^2, and that the implied Pr_{M,T} ~ 1.Comment: 15pages, 1 figure, accepted by Ap
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