Model-Free Sure Screening via Maximum Correlation

We consider the problem of screening features in an ultrahigh-dimensional setting. Using maximum correlation, we develop a novel procedure called MC-SIS for feature screening, and show that MC-SIS possesses the sure screen property without imposing model or distributional assumptions on the response and predictor variables. Therefore, MC-SIS is a model-free sure independence screening method as in contrast with some other existing model-based sure independence screening methods in the literature. Simulation examples and a real data application are used to demonstrate the performance of MC-SIS as well as to compare MC-SIS with other existing sure screening methods. The results show that MC-SIS outperforms those methods when their model assumptions are violated, and it remains competitive when the model assumptions hold.