Recursive Monte Carlo filters, also called particle filters, are a powerful
tool to perform computations in general state space models. We discuss and
compare the accept--reject version with the more common sampling importance
resampling version of the algorithm. In particular, we show how auxiliary
variable methods and stratification can be used in the accept--reject version,
and we compare different resampling techniques. In a second part, we show laws
of large numbers and a central limit theorem for these Monte Carlo filters by
simple induction arguments that need only weak conditions. We also show that,
under stronger conditions, the required sample size is independent of the
length of the observed series.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/009053605000000426 in the
Annals of Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aos/) by the Institute of
Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org