Shinichiro Shirota

Realized stochastic volatility with leverage and long memory

The daily return and the realized volatility are simultaneously modeled in the stochastic volatility model with leverage and long memory. The dependent variable in the stochastic volatility model is the logarithm of the squared return, and its error distribution is approximated by a mixture of normals. In addition, the logarithm of the realized volatility is incorporated into the measurement equation, assuming that the latent log volatility follows an Autoregressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average (ARFIMA) process to describe its long memory property. The efficient Bayesian estimation method using Markov chain Monte Carlo method (MCMC) was proposed and implemented in the state space representation. Model comparisons are performed based on the marginal likelihood, and the volatility forecasting performances are investigated using S&P500 stock index returns.

Space and circular time log Gaussian Cox processes with application to crime event data

We view the locations and times of a collection of crime events as a space-time point pattern. So, with either a nonhomogeneous Poisson process or with a more general Cox process, we need to specify a space-time intensity. For the latter, we need a \emph{random} intensity which we model as a realization of a spatio-temporal log Gaussian process. Importantly, we view time as circular not linear, necessitating valid separable and nonseparable covariance functions over a bounded spatial region crossed with circular time. In addition, crimes are classified by crime type. Furthermore, each crime event is recorded by day of the year which we convert to day of the week marks. The contribution here is to develop models to accommodate such data. Our specifications take the form of hierarchical models which we fit within a Bayesian framework. In this regard, we consider model comparison between the nonhomogeneous Poisson process and the log Gaussian Cox process. We also compare separable vs. nonseparable covariance specifications. Our motivating dataset is a collection of crime events for the city of San Francisco during the year 2012. We have location, hour, day of the year, and crime type for each event. We investigate models to enhance our understanding of the set of incidences.

Approximate Bayesian Computation and Model Assessment for Repulsive Spatial Point Processes

ABSTRACT In many applications involving spatial point patterns, we find evidence of inhibition or repulsion. The most commonly used class of models for such settings are the Gibbs point processes. A recent alternative, at least to the statistical community, is the determinantal point process. Here, we examine model fitting and inference for both of these classes of processes in a Bayesian framework. While usual MCMC model fitting can be available, the algorithms are complex and are not always well behaved. We propose using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) for such fitting. This approach becomes attractive because, though likelihoods are very challenging to work with for these processes, generation of realizations given parameter values is relatively straightforward. As a result, the ABC fitting approach is well-suited for these models. In addition, such simulation makes them well-suited for posterior predictive inference as well as for model assessment. We provide details for all of the above along with some simulation investigation and an illustrative analysis of a point pattern of tree data exhibiting repulsion. R code and datasets are included in the supplementary material.