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Activity Number: 112
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Monday, August 3, 2009 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
Sponsor: Section on Nonparametric Statistics
Abstract - #304232
Title: Maximum Likelihood Computation for Fitting Semiparametric Mixture Models
Author(s): Yong Wang*+
Companies: University of Auckland
Address: Department of Statistics, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
Keywords: Constrained optimization ; Maximum likelihood computation ; Mixed effects ; Neyman-Scott problem ; Profile likelihood ; Semiparametric mixture
Abstract:

Three general algorithms that use different strategies are proposed for computing the maximum likelihood estimate of a semiparametric mixture model. They seek to maximize the likelihood function by, respectively, alternating the parameters, profiling the likelihood and modifying the support set. All three algorithms make a direct use of the recently proposed fast and stable constrained Newton method for computing the nonparametric maximum likelihood of a mixing distribution and employ additionally an optimization algorithm for unconstrained problems. The performance of the algorithms is numerically investigated and compared for solving the Neyman-Scott problem, overcoming overdispersion in logistic regression models and fitting two-level mixed effects logistic regression models. Satisfactory results have been obtained.


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