Stochastic Methods

Optimization techniques are at the core of data science, including data analysis and machine learning. An understanding of basic optimization techniques and their fundamental properties provides important grounding for students, researchers, and practitioners in these areas. This text covers the fundamentals of optimization algorithms in a compact, self-contained way, focusing on the techniques most relevant to data science. An introductory chapter demonstrates that many standard problems in data science can be formulated as optimization problems. Next, many fundamental methods in optimization are described and analyzed, including: gradient and accelerated gradient methods for unconstrained optimization of smooth (especially convex) functions; the stochastic gradient method, a workhorse algorithm in machine learning; the coordinate descent approach; several key algorithms for constrained optimization problems; algorithms for minimizing nonsmooth functions arising in data science; found

Using Bishop's work on constructive analysis as a framework, this monograph gives a systematic, detailed and general constructive theory of probability theory and stochastic processes. It is the first extended account of this theory: almost all of the constructive existence and continuity theorems that permeate the book are original. It also contains results and methods hitherto unknown in the constructive and nonconstructive settings. The text features logic only in the common sense and, beyond a certain mathematical maturity, requires no prior training in either constructive mathematics or probability theory. It will thus be accessible and of interest, both to probabilists interested in the foundations of their speciality and to constructive mathematicians who wish to see Bishop's theory applied to a particular field.

Based on the author's forty years of teaching experience, this unique textbook covers both basic and advanced concepts of optimization theory and methods for process systems engineers. Topics covered include continuous, discrete and logic optimization (linear, nonlinear, mixed-integer and generalized disjunctive programming), optimization under uncertainty (stochastic programming and flexibility analysis), and decomposition techniques (Lagrangean and Benders decomposition). Assuming only a basic background in calculus and linear algebra, it enables easy understanding of mathematical reasoning, and numerous examples throughout illustrate key concepts and algorithms. End-of-chapter exercises involving theoretical derivations and small numerical problems, as well as in modeling systems like GAMS, enhance understanding and help put knowledge into practice. Accompanied by two appendices containing web links to modeling systems and models related to applications in PSE, this is an essential

Mathematical analysis is key to the modeling and management of natural resources. By presenting required mathematical methods, classic dynamic models for non-renewable and renewable resources, and by exploring several contemporary problems, this text provides a foundation for advanced research. Topics include seminal models in fishery, forestry and non-renewable resource management, as well as an extensive collection of contemporary applications that include the optimal transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, the optimal timing of interventions to save endangered species, pest control and the optimal management of antibiotic resistance. Deterministic and stochastic models in both discrete and continuous time are covered. The book encourages students to pursue a deeper understanding of the analytics of resource problems and to deploy numerical methods when analytical results prove intractable. The combination of analysis, theory and applications will launch the next generation of

Mathematical analysis is key to the modeling and management of natural resources. By presenting required mathematical methods, classic dynamic models for non-renewable and renewable resources, and by exploring several contemporary problems, this text provides a foundation for advanced research. Topics include seminal models in fishery, forestry and non-renewable resource management, as well as an extensive collection of contemporary applications that include the optimal transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, the optimal timing of interventions to save endangered species, pest control and the optimal management of antibiotic resistance. Deterministic and stochastic models in both discrete and continuous time are covered. The book encourages students to pursue a deeper understanding of the analytics of resource problems and to deploy numerical methods when analytical results prove intractable. The combination of analysis, theory and applications will launch the next generation of

This friendly guide is the companion you need to convert pure mathematics into understanding and facility with a host of probabilistic tools. The book provides a high-level view of probability and its most powerful applications. It begins with the basic rules of probability and quickly progresses to some of the most sophisticated modern techniques in use, including Kalman filters, Monte Carlo techniques, machine learning methods, Bayesian inference and stochastic processes. It draws on thirty years of experience in applying probabilistic methods to problems in computational science and engineering, and numerous practical examples illustrate where these techniques are used in the real world. Topics of discussion range from carbon dating to Wasserstein GANs, one of the most recent developments in Deep Learning. The underlying mathematics is presented in full, but clarity takes priority over complete rigour, making this text a starting reference source for researchers and a readable overv

This friendly guide is the companion you need to convert pure mathematics into understanding and facility with a host of probabilistic tools. The book provides a high-level view of probability and its most powerful applications. It begins with the basic rules of probability and quickly progresses to some of the most sophisticated modern techniques in use, including Kalman filters, Monte Carlo techniques, machine learning methods, Bayesian inference and stochastic processes. It draws on thirty years of experience in applying probabilistic methods to problems in computational science and engineering, and numerous practical examples illustrate where these techniques are used in the real world. Topics of discussion range from carbon dating to Wasserstein GANs, one of the most recent developments in Deep Learning. The underlying mathematics is presented in full, but clarity takes priority over complete rigour, making this text a starting reference source for researchers and a readable overv

隨機微分方程已廣泛用於金融數量計算，如利率期限結構，資產定價以及金融衍生品定價等。隨機微分方程是金融數學的一個重要理論工具，而設計快速有效的算法求解金融隨機模型的複雜隨機微分方程和模型的參數校準是非常重要的兩個問題，解決這類問題對相關金融數學理論的發展也具有重要的推動作用。本書設計一類高階算法對列維過程驅動的隨機微分方程和延遲隨機微分方程求解並將其應用于期權定價研究，並且還設計一類基於粒子群優化的

High-dimensional probability offers insight into the behavior of random vectors, random matrices, random subspaces, and objects used to quantify uncertainty in high dimensions. Drawing on ideas from probability, analysis, and geometry, it lends itself to applications in mathematics, statistics, theoretical computer science, signal processing, optimization, and more. It is the first to integrate theory, key tools, and modern applications of high-dimensional probability. Concentration inequalities form the core, and it covers both classical results such as Hoeffding's and Chernoff's inequalities and modern developments such as the matrix Bernstein's inequality. It then introduces the powerful methods based on stochastic processes, including such tools as Slepian's, Sudakov's, and Dudley's inequalities, as well as generic chaining and bounds based on VC dimension. A broad range of illustrations is embedded throughout, including classical and modern results for covariance estimation, clust

Social scientists who study religion generally believe that social networks play a central role in religious life. However, most studies draw on measures that are relatively poor proxies for capturing the effects of social networks. This book illustrates how researchers can draw on formal social network analysis methods to explore the interplay of networks and religion. The book's introductory chapters provide overviews of the social scientific study of religion and social network analysis. The remaining chapters explore a variety of topics current in the social scientific study of religion, as well as introducing a variety of social network theories and methods, such as balance theory, ego-network analysis, exponential random graph models, and stochastic actor-oriented models. By embedding social network analysis within a social scientific study of religion framework, Networks and Religion offers an array of approaches for studying the role that social networks play in religious belie

Social scientists who study religion generally believe that social networks play a central role in religious life. However, most studies draw on measures that are relatively poor proxies for capturing the effects of social networks. This book illustrates how researchers can draw on formal social network analysis methods to explore the interplay of networks and religion. The book's introductory chapters provide overviews of the social scientific study of religion and social network analysis. The remaining chapters explore a variety of topics current in the social scientific study of religion, as well as introducing a variety of social network theories and methods, such as balance theory, ego-network analysis, exponential random graph models, and stochastic actor-oriented models. By embedding social network analysis within a social scientific study of religion framework, Networks and Religion offers an array of approaches for studying the role that social networks play in religious belie

This is a monograph on the emerging branch of mathematical biophysics combining asymptotic analysis with numerical and stochastic methods to analyze partial differential equations arising in biologica

This book provides new theories, applications and quantitative methods in demography, population studies and statistics. It presents and applies data analysis, statistics and stochastic modeling techn

Written by a group of international experts in their field, this book is a review of Lagrangian observation, analysis and assimilation methods in physical and biological oceanography. This multidisciplinary text presents new results on nonlinear analysis of Lagrangian dynamics, the prediction of particle trajectories, and Lagrangian stochastic models. It includes historical information, up-to-date developments, and speculation on future developments in Lagrangian-based observations, analysis, and modeling of physical and biological systems. Containing contributions from experimentalists, theoreticians, and modelers in the fields of physical oceanography, marine biology, mathematics, and meteorology, this book will be of great interest to researchers and graduate students looking for both practical applications and information on the theory of transport and dispersion in physical systems, biological modeling, and data assimilation.

Over the past several decades, computational approaches to studying strongly-interacting systems have become increasingly varied and sophisticated. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo techniques relevant for applications in correlated systems. Providing a clear overview of variational wave functions, and featuring a detailed presentation of stochastic samplings including Markov chains and Langevin dynamics, which are developed into a discussion of Monte Carlo methods. The variational technique is described, from foundations to a detailed description of its algorithms. Further topics discussed include optimisation techniques, real-time dynamics and projection methods, including Green's function, reptation and auxiliary-field Monte Carlo, from basic definitions to advanced algorithms for efficient codes, and the book concludes with recent developments on the continuum space. Quantum Monte Carlo Approaches for Correlated Systems provides

Structural vector autoregressive (VAR) models are important tools for empirical work in macroeconomics, finance, and related fields. This book not only reviews the many alternative structural VAR approaches discussed in the literature, but also highlights their pros and cons in practice. It provides guidance to empirical researchers as to the most appropriate modeling choices, methods of estimating, and evaluating structural VAR models. The book traces the evolution of the structural VAR methodology and contrasts it with other common methodologies, including dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models. It is intended as a bridge between the often quite technical econometric literature on structural VAR modeling and the needs of empirical researchers. The focus is not on providing the most rigorous theoretical arguments, but on enhancing the reader's understanding of the methods in question and their assumptions. Empirical examples are provided for illustration.

Structural vector autoregressive (VAR) models are important tools for empirical work in macroeconomics, finance, and related fields. This book not only reviews the many alternative structural VAR approaches discussed in the literature, but also highlights their pros and cons in practice. It provides guidance to empirical researchers as to the most appropriate modeling choices, methods of estimating, and evaluating structural VAR models. The book traces the evolution of the structural VAR methodology and contrasts it with other common methodologies, including dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models. It is intended as a bridge between the often quite technical econometric literature on structural VAR modeling and the needs of empirical researchers. The focus is not on providing the most rigorous theoretical arguments, but on enhancing the reader's understanding of the methods in question and their assumptions. Empirical examples are provided for illustration.

This is a comprehensive and accessible reference source that documents the theoretical and practical aspects of all the key deterministic and stochastic reserving methods that have been developed for use in general insurance. Worked examples and mathematical details are included, along with many of the broader topics associated with reserving in practice. The key features of reserving in a range of different contexts in the UK and elsewhere are also covered. The book contains material that will appeal to anyone with an interest in claims reserving. It can be used as a learning resource for actuarial students who are studying the relevant parts of their professional bodies' examinations, as well as by others who are new to the subject. More experienced insurance and other professionals can use the book to refresh or expand their knowledge in any of the wide range of reserving topics covered in the book.

This text is devoted to the development of certain probabilistic methods in the specific field of stochastic differential equations and limit theorems for Markov processes. Specialists, researchers, a

Do you need to know what technique to use to evaluate the reliability of an engineered system? This self-contained guide provides comprehensive coverage of all the analytical and modeling techniques currently in use, from classical non-state and state space approaches, to newer and more advanced methods such as binary decision diagrams, dynamic fault trees, Bayesian belief networks, stochastic Petri nets, non-homogeneous Markov chains, semi-Markov processes, and phase type expansions. Readers will quickly understand the relative pros and cons of each technique, as well as how to combine different models together to address complex, real-world modeling scenarios. Numerous examples, case studies and problems provided throughout help readers put knowledge into practice, and a solutions manual and Powerpoint slides for instructors accompany the book online. This is the ideal self-study guide for students, researchers and practitioners in engineering and computer science.

"This book focuses on the application of the methods organized in statistical physics, fuzzy logic, neuro nets and combinatorial stochastic processes which have been proven useful in analyzing complex

This modern and comprehensive guide to long-range dependence and self-similarity starts with rigorous coverage of the basics, then moves on to cover more specialized, up-to-date topics central to current research. These topics concern, but are not limited to, physical models that give rise to long-range dependence and self-similarity; central and non-central limit theorems for long-range dependent series, and the limiting Hermite processes; fractional Brownian motion and its stochastic calculus; several celebrated decompositions of fractional Brownian motion; multidimensional models for long-range dependence and self-similarity; and maximum likelihood estimation methods for long-range dependent time series. Designed for graduate students and researchers, each chapter of the book is supplemented by numerous exercises, some designed to test the reader's understanding, while others invite the reader to consider some of the open research problems in the field today.

This book deals with methods to evaluate scientific productivity. In the book statistical methods, deterministic and stochastic models and numerous indexes are discussed that will help the reader to u

Optimization is used to determine the most appropriate value of variables under given conditions. The primary focus of using optimisation techniques is to measure the maximum or minimum value of a function depending on the circumstances. This book discusses problem formulation and problem solving with the help of algorithms such as secant method, quasi-Newton method, linear programming and dynamic programming. It also explains important chemical processes such as fluid flow systems, heat exchangers, chemical reactors and distillation systems using solved examples. The book begins by explaining the fundamental concepts followed by an elucidation of various modern techniques including trust-region methods, Levenberg–Marquardt algorithms, stochastic optimization, simulated annealing and statistical optimization. It studies the multi-objective optimization technique and its applications in chemical engineering and also discusses the theory and applications of various optimization software

Based on a starter course for beginning graduate students, Core Statistics provides concise coverage of the fundamentals of inference for parametric statistical models, including both theory and practical numerical computation. The book considers both frequentist maximum likelihood and Bayesian stochastic simulation while focusing on general methods applicable to a wide range of models and emphasizing the common questions addressed by the two approaches. This compact package serves as a lively introduction to the theory and tools that a beginning graduate student needs in order to make the transition to serious statistical analysis: inference; modeling; computation, including some numerics; and the R language. Aimed also at any quantitative scientist who uses statistical methods, this book will deepen readers' understanding of why and when methods work and explain how to develop suitable methods for non-standard situations, such as in ecology, big data and genomics.

Based on a starter course for beginning graduate students, Core Statistics provides concise coverage of the fundamentals of inference for parametric statistical models, including both theory and practical numerical computation. The book considers both frequentist maximum likelihood and Bayesian stochastic simulation while focusing on general methods applicable to a wide range of models and emphasizing the common questions addressed by the two approaches. This compact package serves as a lively introduction to the theory and tools that a beginning graduate student needs in order to make the transition to serious statistical analysis: inference; modeling; computation, including some numerics; and the R language. Aimed also at any quantitative scientist who uses statistical methods, this book will deepen readers' understanding of why and when methods work and explain how to develop suitable methods for non-standard situations, such as in ecology, big data and genomics.

This SpringerBrief presents spatio-temporal data analytics for wind energy integration using stochastic modeling and optimization methods. It explores techniques for efficiently integrating renewable

A careful and accessible exposition of functional analytic methods in stochastic analysis is provided in this book. It focuses on the interrelationship between three subjects in analysis: Markov proce

In the structural design of airframes and buildings, probability-based procedures are used to mitigate the risk of failure as well as produce cost-effective designs. This book introduces the subject of probabilistic analysis to structural and fire protection engineers and can also be used as a reference to guide those applying this technology. In addition to providing an understanding of how fire affects structures and how to optimize the performance of structural framing systems, Probability-Based Structural Fire Load provides guidance for design professionals and is a resource for educators. The goal of this book is to bridge the gap between prescriptive and probability-based performance design methods and to simplify very complex and comprehensive computer analyses to the point that stochastic structural fire loads have a simple, approximate analytical expression that can be used in structural analysis and design on a day-to-day basis. Numerous practical examples are presented in st

This textbook explains the basic ideas of subjective probability and shows how subjective probabilities must obey the usual rules of probability to ensure coherency. It defines the likelihood function, prior distributions and posterior distributions. It explains how posterior distributions are the basis for inference and explores their basic properties. Various methods of specifying prior distributions are considered, with special emphasis on subject-matter considerations and exchange ability. The regression model is examined to show how analytical methods may fail in the derivation of marginal posterior distributions. The remainder of the book is concerned with applications of the theory to important models that are used in economics, political science, biostatistics and other applied fields. New to the second edition is a chapter on semiparametric regression and new sections on the ordinal probit, item response, factor analysis, ARCH-GARCH and stochastic volatility models. The new ed

Striking a balance between theory and practice, this graduate-level text is perfect for students in the applied sciences. The author provides a clear introduction to the classical methods, how they work and why they sometimes fail. Crucially, he also demonstrates how these simple and classical techniques can be combined to address difficult problems. Many worked examples and sample programs are provided to help the reader make practical use of the subject material. Further mathematical background, if required, is summarized in an appendix. Topics covered include classical methods for linear systems, eigenvalues, interpolation and integration, ODEs and data fitting, and also more modern ideas like adaptivity and stochastic differential equations.

This rigorous, self-contained book describes mathematical and, in particular, stochastic and graph theoretic methods to assess the performance of complex networks and systems. It comprises three parts: the first is a review of probability theory; Part II covers the classical theory of stochastic processes (Poisson, Markov and queueing theory), which are considered to be the basic building blocks for performance evaluation studies; Part III focuses on the rapidly expanding new field of network science. This part deals with the recently obtained insight that many very different large complex networks – such as the Internet, World Wide Web, metabolic and human brain networks, utility infrastructures, social networks – evolve and behave according to general common scaling laws. This understanding is useful when assessing the end-to-end quality of Internet services and when designing robust and secure networks. Containing problems and solved solutions, the book is ideal for graduate student

This book introduces a wide variety of mathematical methods, such as signal processing, systems identification, and stochastic differential equations, to an undergraduate audience interested in biolo

This book presents both deterministic methods and stochastic methods with numerous applications from physics. Coverage includes numerical differentiation and integration, monte-carlo (MC) methods, dat

Complexity science is the study of systems with many interdependent components. Such systems - and the self-organization and emergent phenomena they manifest - lie at the heart of many challenges of global importance. This book is a coherent introduction to the mathematical methods used to understand complexity, with plenty of examples and real-world applications. It starts with the crucial concepts of self-organization and emergence, then tackles complexity in dynamical systems using differential equations and chaos theory. Several classes of models of interacting particle systems are studied with techniques from stochastic analysis, followed by a treatment of the statistical mechanics of complex systems. Further topics include numerical analysis of PDEs, and applications of stochastic methods in economics and finance. The book concludes with introductions to space-time phases and selfish routing. The exposition is suitable for researchers, practitioners and students in complexity sci

Presenting probability and statistical methods, simulation techniques, and modeling tools, this book helps students solve problems and make optimal decisions in uncertain conditions, select stochastic

This textbook explains the basic ideas of subjective probability and shows how subjective probabilities must obey the usual rules of probability to ensure coherency. It defines the likelihood function, prior distributions and posterior distributions. It explains how posterior distributions are the basis for inference and explores their basic properties. Various methods of specifying prior distributions are considered, with special emphasis on subject-matter considerations and exchange ability. The regression model is examined to show how analytical methods may fail in the derivation of marginal posterior distributions. The remainder of the book is concerned with applications of the theory to important models that are used in economics, political science, biostatistics and other applied fields. New to the second edition is a chapter on semiparametric regression and new sections on the ordinal probit, item response, factor analysis, ARCH-GARCH and stochastic volatility models. The new ed

Table of contents: Stochastic methods in nonlinear structural dynamics.- Stochastic models of uncertainties in computational structural dynamics and structural acoustics.- The tale of stochastic linea

This introductory scholarly?treatment explores?the fundamentals of modern geostatistics, a group of spatiotemporal concepts and methods related to?the advancement of the epistemic status of stochastic