Related papers: Convergence of a Particle-based Approximation of t…
We study a version of the proximal gradient algorithm for which the gradient is intractable and is approximated by Monte Carlo methods (and in particular Markov Chain Monte Carlo). We derive conditions on the step size and the Monte Carlo…
Expectation maximization (EM) is the default algorithm for fitting probabilistic models with missing or latent variables, yet we lack a full understanding of its non-asymptotic convergence properties. Previous works show results along the…
Jump Markov linear systems (JMLS) are a useful class which can be used to model processes which exhibit random changes in behavior during operation. This paper presents a numerically stable method for learning the parameters of jump Markov…
Mixture models are a fundamental tool in applied statistics and machine learning for treating data taken from multiple subpopulations. The current practice for estimating the parameters of such models relies on local search heuristics…
The correlated binomial (CB) distribution was proposed by Luce\~no (Computational Statistics $\&$ Data Analysis, 20, 1995, 511-520) as an alternative to the binomial distribution for the analysis of the data in the presence of correlations…
We propose a modified version of the three-step estimation method for the latent class model with covariates, which may be used to estimate latent Markov models for longitudinal data. The three-step estimation approach we propose is based…
We systematically study various network Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithms for the Gaussian mixture model within the framework of decentralized federated learning. Our theoretical investigation reveals that directly extending the…
Clustering algorithms are a cornerstone of machine learning applications. Recently, a quantum algorithm for clustering based on the k-means algorithm has been proposed by Kerenidis, Landman, Luongo and Prakash. Based on their work, we…
A primary goal of online deliberation platforms is to identify ideas that are broadly agreeable to a community of users through their expressed preferences. Yet, consensus elicitation should ideally extend beyond the specific statements…
The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm introduced by Dempster et al in 1977 is a very general method to solve maximum likelihood estimation problems. In this informal report, we review the theory behind EM as well as a number of EM…
Mixture models serve as one fundamental tool with versatile applications. However, their training techniques, like the popular Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm, are notoriously sensitive to parameter initialization and often suffer…
Mixture models of Plackett-Luce (PL) -- one of the most fundamental ranking models -- are an active research area of both theoretical and practical significance. Most previously proposed parameter estimation algorithms instantiate the EM…
We introduce a general form of sequential Monte Carlo algorithm defined in terms of a parameterized resampling mechanism. We find that a suitably generalized notion of the Effective Sample Size (ESS), widely used to monitor algorithm…
The stochastic blockmodel (SBM) models the connectivity within and between disjoint subsets of nodes in networks. Prior work demonstrated that the rows of an SBM's adjacency spectral embedding (ASE) and Laplacian spectral embedding (LSE)…
The stochastic approximation EM algorithm (SAEM) is described for the estimation of item and person parameters given test data coded as dichotomous or ordinal variables. The method hinges upon the eigenanalysis of missing variables sampled…
The pseudo-marginal (PM) approach is increasingly used for Bayesian inference in statistical models, where the likelihood is intractable but can be estimated unbiasedly. %Examples include random effect models, state-space models and data…
Fredholm integral equations of the first kind are the prototypical example of ill-posed linear inverse problems. They model, among other things, reconstruction of distorted noisy observations and indirect density estimation and also appear…
Finite mixture models have been widely used for the modelling and analysis of data from heterogeneous populations. Maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters is typically carried out via the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. The…
A regularized vector autoregressive hidden semi-Markov model is developed to analyze multivariate financial time series with switching data generating regimes. Furthermore, an augmented EM algorithm is proposed for parameter estimation by…
We introduce an approach based on mirror descent and sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) to perform joint parameter inference and posterior estimation in latent variable models. This approach is based on minimisation of a functional over the…