Marginal likelihood computation for model selection and hypothesis testing: an extensive review

Abstract

This is an up-to-date introduction to, and overview of, marginal likelihood computation for model selection and hypothesis testing. Computing normalizing constants of probability models (or ratio of constants) is a fundamental issue in many applications in statistics, applied mathematics, signal processing and machine learning. This article provides a comprehensive study of the state-of-the-art of the topic. We highlight limitations, benefits, connections and differences among the different techniques. Problems and possible solutions with the use of improper priors are also described. Some of the most relevant methodologies are compared through theoretical comparisons and numerical experiments.Comment: Keywords: Marginal likelihood, Bayesian evidence, numerical integration, model selection, hypothesis testing, quadrature rules, double-intractable posteriors, partition function