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Activity Number: 621
Type: Invited
Date/Time: Thursday, August 8, 2013 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
Sponsor: Section on Statistical Computing
Abstract - #307011
Title: An Adaptive Exchange Algorithm for Sampling from Distribution with Intractable Normalizing Constants
Author(s): Faming Liang*+
Companies: Texas A&M University
Keywords: Exchange Algorithm ; Intractable Normalizing Constant ; Stochastic Approximation Monte Carlo ; Autologistic Model ; Markov Chain Monte Carlo
Abstract:

Sampling from the posterior distribution for a model whose normalizing constant is intractable is a long-standing problem in statistical research. We propose a new algorithm, the adaptive exchange (AEX) algorithm, to tackle this problem. The new algorithm can be viewed as a MCMC extension of the exchange algorithm, which generates auxiliary variables via an importance sampling procedure from a Markov chain running in parallel. The convergence of the algorithm is established under mild conditions. Compared to the exchange algorithm, the new algorithm removes the requirement that the auxiliary variables must be drawn using a perfect sampler, and thus can be applied to many models for which the perfect sampler is not available or very expensive. Compared to the approximate exchange algorithms, such as the double Metropolis-Hastings sampler, the new algorithm overcomes their theoretical flaw on convergence. The new algorithm is tested on spatial autologistic models, and the numerical results indicate its validity and efficiency.


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