The paper studies large sample asymptotic properties of the Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) for the parameter of a continuous time Markov chain, observed in white noise. Using the method of weak convergence of likelihoods due to I.Ibragimov and R.Khasminskii, consistency, asymptotic normality and convergence of moments are established for MLE under certain strong ergodicity conditions of the chain.
This paper considers the asymptotic properties of the recursive maximum likelihood estimation in hidden Markov models. The paper is focused on the asymptotic behavior of the log-likelihood function and on the point-convergence and convergence rate of the recursive maximum likelihood estimator. Using the principle of analytical continuation, the analyticity of the asymptotic log-likelihood function is shown for analytically parameterized hidden Markov models. Relying on this fact and some results from differential geometry (Lojasiewicz inequality), the almost sure point-convergence of the recur…
A hidden Markov model with trends is a hidden Markov model whose emission distributions are translated by a trend that depends on the current hidden state and on the current time. Contrary to standard hidden Markov models, such processes are not homogeneous and cannot be made homogeneous by a simple de-trending step. We show that when the trends are polynomial, the maximum likelihood estimator is able to recover the trends together with the other parameters and is strongly consistent. More precisely, the supremum norm of the difference between the true trends and the estimated ones tends to ze…
Finite state space hidden Markov models are flexible tools to model phenomena with complex time dependencies: any process distribution can be approximated by a hidden Markov model with enough hidden states.We consider the problem of estimating an unknown process distribution using nonparametric hidden Markov models in the misspecified setting, that is when the data-generating process may not be a hidden Markov model.We show that when the true distribution is exponentially mixing and satisfies a forgetting assumption, the maximum likelihood estimator recovers the best approximation of the true …
This paper outlines a new nonparametric estimation procedure for unobserved phi-mixing processes. It is assumed that the only information on the stationary hidden states (Xk) is given by the process (Yk), where Yk is a noisy observation of f(Xk). The paper introduces a maximum pseudo-likelihood procedure to estimate the function f and the distribution of the hidden states using blocks of observations of length b. The identifiability of the model is studied in the particular cases b=1 and b=2. The consistency of the estimators of f and of the distribution of the hidden states as the number of o…
Nonparametric identification and maximum likelihood estimation for finite-state hidden Markov models are investigated. We obtain identification of the parameters as well as the order of the Markov chain if the transition probability matrices have full-rank and are ergodic, and if the state-dependent distributions are all distinct, but not necessarily linearly independent. Based on this identification result, we develop nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation theory. First, we show that the asymptotic contrast, the Kullback--Leibler divergence of the hidden Markov model, identifies the true…
We show that the posterior distribution of parameters in a hidden Markov model with parametric emission distributions and discrete and known state space is asymptotically normal. The main novelty of our proof is that it is based on a testing condition and the sequence of test functions is obtained using an optimal transportation inequality.
In this note, we propose a new approach for the proof of the consistency and normality of the maximum likelihood estimator for nonlinear AR processes with markov-switching under the assumptions of uniform exponential forgetting of the prediction filter and $α$-mixing property. We show that in the linear and Gaussian case our assumptions are fully satisfied.
In many complex statistical models maximum likelihood estimators cannot be calculated. In the paper we solve this problem using Markov chain Monte Carlo approximation of the true likelihood. In the main result we prove asymptotic normality of the estimator, when both sample sizes (the initial and Monte Carlo one) tend to infinity. Our result can be applied to models with intractable norming constants and missing data models.
We consider parameter estimation in finite hidden state space Markov models with time-dependent inhomogeneous noise, where the inhomogeneity vanishes sufficiently fast. Based on the concept of asymptotic mean stationary processes we prove that the maximum likelihood and a quasi-maximum likelihood estimator (QMLE) are strongly consistent. The computation of the QMLE ignores the inhomogeneity, hence, is much simpler and robust. The theory is motivated by an example from biophysics and applied to a Poisson- and linear Gaussian model.
Let $(Y_k)_{k\in \mathbb{Z}}$ be a stationary sequence on a probability space $(Ω,\mathcal{A},\mathbb{P})$ taking values in a standard Borel space $\mathsf{Y}$. Consider the associated maximum likelihood estimator with respect to a parametrized family of hidden Markov models such that the law of the observations $(Y_k)_{k\in \mathbb{Z}}$ is not assumed to be described by any of the hidden Markov models of this family. In this paper we investigate the consistency of this estimator in such misspecified models under mild assumptions.
This paper deals with a parametrized family of partially observed bivariate Markov chains. We establish that, under very mild assumptions, the limit of the normalized log-likelihood function is maximized when the parameters belong to the equivalence class of the true parameter, which is a key feature for obtaining the consistency of the maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) in well-specified models. This result is obtained in the general framework of partially dominated models. We examine two specific cases of interest, namely, hidden Markov models (HMMs) and observation-driven time series mode…
We consider a unified framework of sequential change-point detection and hypothesis testing modeled by means of hidden Markov chains. One observes a sequence of random variables whose distributions are functionals of a hidden Markov chain. The objective is to detect quickly the event that the hidden Markov chain leaves a certain set of states, and to identify accurately the class of states into which it is absorbed. We propose computationally tractable sequential detection and identification strategies and obtain sufficient conditions for the asymptotic optimality in two Bayesian formulations.…
The AMP Markov property is a recently proposed alternative Markov property for chain graphs. In the case of continuous variables with a joint multivariate Gaussian distribution, it is the AMP rather than the earlier introduced LWF Markov property that is coherent with data-generation by natural block-recursive regressions. In this paper, we show that maximum likelihood estimates in Gaussian AMP chain graph models can be obtained by combining generalized least squares and iterative proportional fitting to an iterative algorithm. In an appendix, we give useful convergence results for iterative p…
An autoregressive process with Markov regime is an autoregressive process for which the regression function at each time point is given by a nonobservable Markov chain. In this paper we consider the asymptotic properties of the maximum likelihood estimator in a possibly nonstationary process of this kind for which the hidden state space is compact but not necessarily finite. Consistency and asymptotic normality are shown to follow from uniform exponential forgetting of the initial distribution for the hidden Markov chain conditional on the observations.
The analyticity of the entropy and relative entropy rates of continuous-state hidden Markov models is studied here. Using the analytic continuation principle and the stability properties of the optimal filter, the analyticity of these rates is shown for analytically parameterized models. The obtained results hold under relatively mild conditions and cover several classes of hidden Markov models met in practice. These results are relevant for several (theoretically and practically) important problems arising in statistical inference, system identification and information theory.
This paper considers maximum likelihood (ML) estimation in a large class of models with hidden Markov regimes. We investigate consistency of the ML estimator and local asymptotic normality for the models under general conditions which allow for autoregressive dynamics in the observable process, Markov regime sequences with covariate-dependent transition matrices, and possible model misspecification. A Monte Carlo study examines the finite-sample properties of the ML estimator in correctly specified and misspecified models. An empirical application is also discussed.
The Markovian arrival process (MAP) has proven a versatile model for fitting dependent and non-exponential interarrival times, with a number of applications to queueing, teletraffic, reliability or finance. Despite theoretical properties of MAPs and models involving MAPs are well studied, their estimation remains less explored. This paper examines maximum likelihood estimation of the second-order MAP using a recently obtained parameterization of the two-state MAPs.
This paper presents a new and flexible prognostics framework based on a higher order hidden semi-Markov model (HOHSMM) for systems or components with unobservable health states and complex transition dynamics. The HOHSMM extends the basic hidden Markov model (HMM) by allowing the hidden state to depend on its more distant history and assuming generally distributed state duration. An effective Gibbs sampling algorithm is designed for statistical inference of an HOHSMM. The performance of the proposed HOHSMM sampler is evaluated by conducting a simulation experiment. We further design a decoding…
The partially observable hidden Markov model is an extension of the hidden Markov Model in which the hidden state is conditioned on an independent Markov chain. This structure is motivated by the presence of discrete metadata, such as an event type, that may partially reveal the hidden state but itself emanates from a separate process. Such a scenario is encountered in keystroke dynamics whereby a user's typing behavior is dependent on the text that is typed. Under the assumption that the user can be in either an active or passive state of typing, the keyboard key names are event types that pa…
Due to the intractable partition function, the exact likelihood function for a Markov random field (MRF), in many situations, can only be approximated. Major approximation approaches include pseudolikelihood and Laplace approximation. In this paper, we propose a novel way of approximating the likelihood function through first approximating the marginal likelihood functions of individual parameters and then reconstructing the joint likelihood function from these marginal likelihood functions. For approximating the marginal likelihood functions, we derive a particular likelihood function from a …
We propose an inferential approach for maximum likelihood estimation of the hidden Markov models for continuous responses. We extend to the case of longitudinal observations the finite mixture model of multivariate Gaussian distributions with Missing At Random (MAR) outcomes, also accounting for possible dropout. The resulting hidden Markov model accounts for different types of missing pattern: (i) partially missing outcomes at a given time occasion; (ii) completely missing outcomes at a given time occasion (intermittent pattern); (iii) dropout before the end of the period of observation (mono…
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company（埃克森美孚研究与工程公司）
We report an exact likelihood computation for Linear Gaussian Markov processes that is more scalable than existing algorithms for complex models and sparsely sampled signals. Better scaling is achieved through elimination of repeated computations in the Kalman likelihood, and by using the diagonalized form of the state transition equation. Using this efficient computation, we study the accuracy of kernel learning using maximum likelihood and the posterior mean in a simulation experiment. The posterior mean with a reference prior is more accurate for complex models and sparse sampling. Because …
In this paper, we develop methods of nonlinear filtering and prediction of an unobservable Markov chain with a finite set of states. This Markov chain controls coefficients of AR(p) model. Using observations generated by AR(p) model we have to estimate the state of Markov chain in the case of an unknown probability transition matrix. Comparison of proposed non-parametric algorithms with the optimal methods in the case of the known transition matrix is carried out by simulating.
We consider the Sequential Probability Ratio Test applied to Hidden Markov Models. Given two Hidden Markov Models and a sequence of observations generated by one of them, the Sequential Probability Ratio Test attempts to decide which model produced the sequence. We show relationships between the execution time of such an algorithm and Lyapunov exponents of random matrix systems. Further, we give complexity results about the execution time taken by the Sequential Probability Ratio Test.
To estimate the emission parameters in hidden Markov models one commonly uses the EM algorithm or its variation. Our primary motivation, however, is the Philips speech recognition system wherein the EM algorithm is replaced by the Viterbi training algorithm. Viterbi training is faster and computationally less involved than EM, but it is also biased and need not even be consistent. We propose an alternative to the Viterbi training -- adjusted Viterbi training -- that has the same order of computational complexity as Viterbi training but gives more accurate estimators. Elsewhere, we studied the …
In this paper we study the problem of learning phylogenies and hidden Markov models. We call a Markov model nonsingular if all transition matrices have determinants bounded away from 0 (and 1). We highlight the role of the nonsingularity condition for the learning problem. Learning hidden Markov models without the nonsingularity condition is at least as hard as learning parity with noise, a well-known learning problem conjectured to be computationally hard. On the other hand, we give a polynomial-time algorithm for learning nonsingular phylogenies and hidden Markov models.
Consider a filtering process associated to a hidden Markov model with densities for which both the state space and the observation space are complete, separable, metric spaces. If the underlying, hidden Markov chain is strongly ergodic and the filtering process fulfills a certain coupling condition we prove that, in the limit, the distribution of the filtering process is independent of the initial distribution of the hidden Markov chain. If furthermore the hidden Markov chain is uniformly ergodic, then we prove that the filtering process converges in distribution.
We prove what appears to be the first concentration of measure result for hidden Markov processes. Our bound is stated in terms of the contraction coefficients of the underlying Markov process, and strictly generalizes the Markov process concentration results of Marton (1996) and Samson (2000). Somewhat surprisingly, the bound turns out to be the same as for ordinary Markov processes; this property, however, fails for general hidden/observed process pairs.
We consider Hidden Markov Chains obtained by passing a Markov Chain with rare transitions through a noisy memoryless channel. We obtain asymptotic estimates for the entropy of the resulting Hidden Markov Chain as the transition rate is reduced to zero.
For the continuous-time and the discrete-time three-state hidden Markov model, the flux of the likelihood function up to 3-dimension of the observed process is shown explicitly. As an application, the sufficient and necessary condition of the reversibility of the observed process is shown.
In this paper we study various properties of finite stochastic systems or hidden Markov chains as they are alternatively called. We discuss their construction following different approaches and we also derive recursive filtering formulas for the different systems that we consider. The key tool is a simple lemma on conditional expectations.
We consider the filtering of continuous-time finite-state hidden Markov models, where the rate and observation matrices depend on unknown time-dependent parameters, for which no prior or stochastic model is available. We quantify and analyze how the induced uncertainty may be propagated through time as we collect new observations, and used to simultaneously provide robust estimates of the hidden signal and to learn the unknown parameters, via techniques based on pathwise filtering and new results on the optimal control of rough differential equations.
We consider a hidden Markov model with multiplicative noise emerging from studies of software reliability. We show the stability of the optimal filter with respect to general initial conditions in the total variation- and $L^p$-norm and deduce explicit rates. Remarkably, stability turns out to be independent of the ergodic behavior of the signal.
We prove that under certain mild assumptions, the entropy rate of a hidden Markov chain, observed when passing a finite-state stationary Markov chain through a discrete-time continuous-output channel, is jointly analytic as a function of the input Markov chain parameters and the channel parameters. In particular, as consequences of the main theorems, we obtain analyticity for the entropy rate associated with representative channels: Cauchy and Gaussian.
We study the convergence in rough path topology of a certain class of discrete processes, the hidden Markov walks, to a Brownian motion with an area anomaly. This area anomaly, which is a new object, keeps track of the time-correlation of the discrete models and brings into light the question of embeddings of discrete processes into continuous time. We also identify an underlying combinatorial structure in the hidden Markov walks, which turns out to be a generalization of the occupation time from the classical ergodic theorem in the spirit of rough paths.
The generalized perturbative approach is an all purpose variant of Stein's method used to obtain rates of normal approximation. Originally developed for functions of independent random variables this method is here extended to functions of the realization of a hidden Markov model. In this dependent setting, rates of convergence are provided in some applications to stochastic geometry, leading, in each instance, to an extra log-factor vis a vis the rate in the independent case.
I describe a new Markov chain method for sampling from the distribution of the state sequences in a non-linear state space model, given the observation sequence. This method updates all states in the sequence simultaneously using an embedded Hidden Markov model (HMM). An update begins with the creation of a ``pool'' of K states at each time, by applying some Markov chain update to the current state. These pools define an embedded HMM whose states are indexes within this pool. Using the forward-backward dynamic programming algorithm, we can then efficiently choose a state sequence at random wit…
In this paper, the forgetting of the initial distribution for a non-ergodic Hidden Markov Models (HMM) is studied. A new set of conditions is proposed to establish the forgetting property of the filter, which significantly extends all the existing results. Both a pathwise-type convergence of the total variation distance of the filter started from two different initial distributions, and a convergence in expectation are considered. The results are illustrated using generic models of non-ergodic HMM and extend all the results known so far.
In an effort to aid communication among different fields and perhaps facilitate progress on problems common to all of them, this article discusses hidden Markov processes from several viewpoints, especially that of symbolic dynamics, where they are known as sofic measures, or continuous shift-commuting images of Markov measures. It provides background, describes known tools and methods, surveys some of the literature, and proposes several open problems.
We consider filtering for a hidden Markov model that evolves with multiple time scales in the hidden states. In particular, we consider the case where one of the states is a scaled Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with fast reversion to a shifting-mean that is controlled by a continuous time Markov chain modeling regime change. We show that the nonlinear filter for such a process can be approximated by an averaged filter that asymptotically coincides with the true nonlinear filter of the regime-changing Markov chain as the rate of mean reversion approaches infinity. The asymptotics exploit weak conv…
This work is devoted to the almost sure stabilization of adaptive control systems that involve an unknown Markov chain. The control system displays continuous dynamics represented by differential equations and discrete events given by a hidden Markov chain. Different from previous work on stabilization of adaptive controlled systems with a hidden Markov chain, where average criteria were considered, this work focuses on the almost sure stabilization or sample path stabilization of the underlying processes. Under simple conditions, it is shown that as long as the feedback controls have linear g…
For a wide class of continuous-time Markov processes, including all irreducible hypoelliptic diffusions evolving on an open, connected subset of $\RL^d$, the following are shown to be equivalent: (i) The process satisfies (a slightly weaker version of) the classical Donsker-Varadhan conditions; (ii) The transition semigroup of the process can be approximated by a finite-state hidden Markov model, in a strong sense in terms of an associated operator norm; (iii) The resolvent kernel of the process is `$v$-separable', that is, it can be approximated arbitrarily well in operator norm by finite-ran…
Let $(X, Y) = (X_n, Y_n)_{n \geq 1}$ be the output process generated by a hidden chain $Z = (Z_n)_{n \geq 1}$, where $Z$ is a finite state, aperiodic, time homogeneous, and irreducible Markov chain. Let $LC_n$ be the length of the longest common subsequences of $X_1, \ldots, X_n$ and $Y_1, \ldots, Y_n$. Under a mixing hypothesis, a rate of convergence result is obtained for $\mathbb{E}[LC_n]/n$.
We consider the problem of filtering an unseen Markov chain from noisy observations, in the presence of uncertainty regarding the parameters of the processes involved. Using the theory of nonlinear expectations, we describe the uncertainty in terms of a penalty function, which can be propagated forward in time in the place of the filter.
We prove that under mild positivity assumptions the entropy rate of a hidden Markov chain varies analytically as a function of the underlying Markov chain parameters. A general principle to determine the domain of analyticity is stated. An example is given to estimate the radius of convergence for the entropy rate. We then show that the positivity assumptions can be relaxed, and examples are given for the relaxed conditions. We study a special class of hidden Markov chains in more detail: binary hidden Markov chains with an unambiguous symbol, and we give necessary and sufficient conditions fo…
A hidden Markov model (HMM) is said to have path-mergeable states if for any two states i,j there exists a word w and state k such that it is possible to transition from both i and j to k while emitting w. We show that for a finite HMM with path-mergeable states the block estimates of the entropy rate converge exponentially fast. We also show that the path-mergeability property is asymptotically typical in the space of HMM topolgies and easily testable.
