Theory and Use of the EM Algorithm


Book Description

Introduces the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and provides an intuitive and mathematically rigorous understanding of this method. Theory and Use of the EM Algorithm is designed to be useful to both the EM novice and the experienced EM user looking to better understand the method and its use.




The EM Algorithm and Extensions


Book Description

The only single-source——now completely updated and revised——to offer a unified treatment of the theory, methodology, and applications of the EM algorithm Complete with updates that capture developments from the past decade, The EM Algorithm and Extensions, Second Edition successfully provides a basic understanding of the EM algorithm by describing its inception, implementation, and applicability in numerous statistical contexts. In conjunction with the fundamentals of the topic, the authors discuss convergence issues and computation of standard errors, and, in addition, unveil many parallels and connections between the EM algorithm and Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. Thorough discussions on the complexities and drawbacks that arise from the basic EM algorithm, such as slow convergence and lack of an in-built procedure to compute the covariance matrix of parameter estimates, are also presented. While the general philosophy of the First Edition has been maintained, this timely new edition has been updated, revised, and expanded to include: New chapters on Monte Carlo versions of the EM algorithm and generalizations of the EM algorithm New results on convergence, including convergence of the EM algorithm in constrained parameter spaces Expanded discussion of standard error computation methods, such as methods for categorical data and methods based on numerical differentiation Coverage of the interval EM, which locates all stationary points in a designated region of the parameter space Exploration of the EM algorithm's relationship with the Gibbs sampler and other Markov chain Monte Carlo methods Plentiful pedagogical elements—chapter introductions, lists of examples, author and subject indices, computer-drawn graphics, and a related Web site The EM Algorithm and Extensions, Second Edition serves as an excellent text for graduate-level statistics students and is also a comprehensive resource for theoreticians, practitioners, and researchers in the social and physical sciences who would like to extend their knowledge of the EM algorithm.




Learning in Graphical Models


Book Description

In the past decade, a number of different research communities within the computational sciences have studied learning in networks, starting from a number of different points of view. There has been substantial progress in these different communities and surprising convergence has developed between the formalisms. The awareness of this convergence and the growing interest of researchers in understanding the essential unity of the subject underlies the current volume. Two research communities which have used graphical or network formalisms to particular advantage are the belief network community and the neural network community. Belief networks arose within computer science and statistics and were developed with an emphasis on prior knowledge and exact probabilistic calculations. Neural networks arose within electrical engineering, physics and neuroscience and have emphasised pattern recognition and systems modelling problems. This volume draws together researchers from these two communities and presents both kinds of networks as instances of a general unified graphical formalism. The book focuses on probabilistic methods for learning and inference in graphical models, algorithm analysis and design, theory and applications. Exact methods, sampling methods and variational methods are discussed in detail. Audience: A wide cross-section of computationally oriented researchers, including computer scientists, statisticians, electrical engineers, physicists and neuroscientists.




Finite Mixture Models


Book Description

An up-to-date, comprehensive account of major issues in finitemixture modeling This volume provides an up-to-date account of the theory andapplications of modeling via finite mixture distributions. With anemphasis on the applications of mixture models in both mainstreamanalysis and other areas such as unsupervised pattern recognition,speech recognition, and medical imaging, the book describes theformulations of the finite mixture approach, details itsmethodology, discusses aspects of its implementation, andillustrates its application in many common statisticalcontexts. Major issues discussed in this book include identifiabilityproblems, actual fitting of finite mixtures through use of the EMalgorithm, properties of the maximum likelihood estimators soobtained, assessment of the number of components to be used in themixture, and the applicability of asymptotic theory in providing abasis for the solutions to some of these problems. The author alsoconsiders how the EM algorithm can be scaled to handle the fittingof mixture models to very large databases, as in data miningapplications. This comprehensive, practical guide: * Provides more than 800 references-40% published since 1995 * Includes an appendix listing available mixture software * Links statistical literature with machine learning and patternrecognition literature * Contains more than 100 helpful graphs, charts, and tables Finite Mixture Models is an important resource for both applied andtheoretical statisticians as well as for researchers in the manyareas in which finite mixture models can be used to analyze data.




Data Analysis and Applications 4


Book Description

Data analysis as an area of importance has grown exponentially, especially during the past couple of decades. This can be attributed to a rapidly growing computer industry and the wide applicability of computational techniques, in conjunction with new advances of analytic tools. This being the case, the need for literature that addresses this is self-evident. New publications are appearing, covering the need for information from all fields of science and engineering, thanks to the universal relevance of data analysis and statistics packages. This book is a collective work by a number of leading scientists, analysts, engineers, mathematicians and statisticians who have been working at the forefront of data analysis. The chapters included in this volume represent a cross-section of current concerns and research interests in these scientific areas. The material is divided into three parts: Financial Data Analysis and Methods, Statistics and Stochastic Data Analysis and Methods, and Demographic Methods and Data Analysis- providing the reader with both theoretical and applied information on data analysis methods, models and techniques and appropriate applications.




Understanding Machine Learning


Book Description

Introduces machine learning and its algorithmic paradigms, explaining the principles behind automated learning approaches and the considerations underlying their usage.




Information Theory, Inference and Learning Algorithms


Book Description

Information theory and inference, taught together in this exciting textbook, lie at the heart of many important areas of modern technology - communication, signal processing, data mining, machine learning, pattern recognition, computational neuroscience, bioinformatics and cryptography. The book introduces theory in tandem with applications. Information theory is taught alongside practical communication systems such as arithmetic coding for data compression and sparse-graph codes for error-correction. Inference techniques, including message-passing algorithms, Monte Carlo methods and variational approximations, are developed alongside applications to clustering, convolutional codes, independent component analysis, and neural networks. Uniquely, the book covers state-of-the-art error-correcting codes, including low-density-parity-check codes, turbo codes, and digital fountain codes - the twenty-first-century standards for satellite communications, disk drives, and data broadcast. Richly illustrated, filled with worked examples and over 400 exercises, some with detailed solutions, the book is ideal for self-learning, and for undergraduate or graduate courses. It also provides an unparalleled entry point for professionals in areas as diverse as computational biology, financial engineering and machine learning.




Probability for Machine Learning


Book Description

Probability is the bedrock of machine learning. You cannot develop a deep understanding and application of machine learning without it. Cut through the equations, Greek letters, and confusion, and discover the topics in probability that you need to know. Using clear explanations, standard Python libraries, and step-by-step tutorial lessons, you will discover the importance of probability to machine learning, Bayesian probability, entropy, density estimation, maximum likelihood, and much more.




Mixed Models


Book Description

Praise for the First Edition “This book will serve to greatly complement the growing number of texts dealing with mixed models, and I highly recommend including it in one’s personal library.” —Journal of the American Statistical Association Mixed modeling is a crucial area of statistics, enabling the analysis of clustered and longitudinal data. Mixed Models: Theory and Applications with R, Second Edition fills a gap in existing literature between mathematical and applied statistical books by presenting a powerful examination of mixed model theory and application with special attention given to the implementation in R. The new edition provides in-depth mathematical coverage of mixed models’ statistical properties and numerical algorithms, as well as nontraditional applications, such as regrowth curves, shapes, and images. The book features the latest topics in statistics including modeling of complex clustered or longitudinal data, modeling data with multiple sources of variation, modeling biological variety and heterogeneity, Healthy Akaike Information Criterion (HAIC), parameter multidimensionality, and statistics of image processing. Mixed Models: Theory and Applications with R, Second Edition features unique applications of mixed model methodology, as well as: Comprehensive theoretical discussions illustrated by examples and figures Over 300 exercises, end-of-section problems, updated data sets, and R subroutines Problems and extended projects requiring simulations in R intended to reinforce material Summaries of major results and general points of discussion at the end of each chapter Open problems in mixed modeling methodology, which can be used as the basis for research or PhD dissertations Ideal for graduate-level courses in mixed statistical modeling, the book is also an excellent reference for professionals in a range of fields, including cancer research, computer science, and engineering.




Data Clustering: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications, Second Edition


Book Description

Data clustering, also known as cluster analysis, is an unsupervised process that divides a set of objects into homogeneous groups. Since the publication of the first edition of this monograph in 2007, development in the area has exploded, especially in clustering algorithms for big data and open-source software for cluster analysis. This second edition reflects these new developments, covers the basics of data clustering, includes a list of popular clustering algorithms, and provides program code that helps users implement clustering algorithms. Data Clustering: Theory, Algorithms and Applications, Second Edition will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and data scientists as well as undergraduate and graduate students.