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Title: Binomial and Poisson Mixtures, Maximum Likelihood, and Maple Code

Abstract

The bias, variance, and skewness of maximum likelihoood estimators are considered for binomial and Poisson mixture distributions. The moments considered are asymptotic, and they are assessed using the Maple code. Question of existence of solutions and Karl Pearson's study are mentioned, along with the problems of valid sample space. Large samples to reduce variances are not unusual; this also applies to the size of the asymptotic skewness.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. ORNL
  2. University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
Work for Others (WFO)
OSTI Identifier:
1003505
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Far East Journal of Theoretical Statistics; Journal Volume: 20; Journal Issue: 1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
97 MATHEMATICAL METHODS AND COMPUTING; MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD FIT; ASYMMETRY; DISTRIBUTION; PROBABILITY; STATISTICS

Citation Formats

Bowman, Kimiko o, and Shenton, LR. Binomial and Poisson Mixtures, Maximum Likelihood, and Maple Code. United States: N. p., 2006. Web.
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Bowman, Kimiko o, & Shenton, LR. Binomial and Poisson Mixtures, Maximum Likelihood, and Maple Code. United States.
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Bowman, Kimiko o, and Shenton, LR. Sun . "Binomial and Poisson Mixtures, Maximum Likelihood, and Maple Code". United States. doi:.
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@article{osti_1003505,
title = {Binomial and Poisson Mixtures, Maximum Likelihood, and Maple Code},
author = {Bowman, Kimiko o and Shenton, LR},
abstractNote = {The bias, variance, and skewness of maximum likelihoood estimators are considered for binomial and Poisson mixture distributions. The moments considered are asymptotic, and they are assessed using the Maple code. Question of existence of solutions and Karl Pearson's study are mentioned, along with the problems of valid sample space. Large samples to reduce variances are not unusual; this also applies to the size of the asymptotic skewness.},
doi = {},
journal = {Far East Journal of Theoretical Statistics},
number = 1,
volume = 20,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}
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  • - Far East Journal of Theoretical Statistics
    The probability generating function of one version of the negative binomial distribution being (p + 1 - pt){sup -k}, we study elements of the Hessian and in particular Fisher's discovery of a series form for the variance of k, the maximum likelihood estimator, and also for the determinant of the Hessian. There is a link with the Psi function and its derivatives. Basic algebra is excessively complicated and a Maple code implementation is an important task in the solution process. Low order maximum likelihood moments are given and also Fisher's examples relating to data associated with ticks on sheep. Efficiencymore » of moment estimators is mentioned, including the concept of joint efficiency. In an Addendum we give an interesting formula for the difference of two Psi functions.« less

  • ; - Review of Scientific Instruments
    The fitting of data by {chi}{sup 2} minimization is valid only when the uncertainties in the data are normally distributed. When analyzing spectroscopic or particle counting data at very low signal level (e.g., a Thomson scattering diagnostic), the uncertainties are distributed with a Poisson distribution. We have developed a maximum-likelihood method for fitting data that correctly treats the Poisson statistical character of the uncertainties. This method maximizes the total probability that the observed data are drawn from the assumed fit function using the Poisson probability function to determine the probability for each data point. The algorithm also returns uncertainty estimatesmore » for the fit parameters. We compare this method with a {chi}{sup 2}-minimization routine applied to both simulated and real Thomson scattering data. Differences in the returned fits are greater at low signal level (less than {approximately}10 counts per measurement). The maximum-likelihood method is found to be more accurate and robust, returning a narrower distribution of values for the fit parameters with fewer outliers. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

  • ; - Nature Methods, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1, 2010, pp. 338-339
    Histograms of counted events are Poisson distributed, but are typically fitted without justification using nonlinear least squares fitting. The more appropriate maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for Poisson distributed data is seldom used. We extend the use of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm commonly used for nonlinear least squares minimization for use with the MLE for Poisson distributed data. In so doing, we remove any excuse for not using this more appropriate MLE. We demonstrate the use of the algorithm and the superior performance of the MLE using simulations and experiments in the context of fluorescence lifetime imaging. Scientists commonly form histograms ofmore » counted events from their data, and extract parameters by fitting to a specified model. Assuming that the probability of occurrence for each bin is small, event counts in the histogram bins will be distributed according to the Poisson distribution. We develop here an efficient algorithm for fitting event counting histograms using the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for Poisson distributed data, rather than the non-linear least squares measure. This algorithm is a simple extension of the common Levenberg-Marquardt (L-M) algorithm, is simple to implement, quick and robust. Fitting using a least squares measure is most common, but it is the maximum likelihood estimator only for Gaussian-distributed data. Non-linear least squares methods may be applied to event counting histograms in cases where the number of events is very large, so that the Poisson distribution is well approximated by a Gaussian. However, it is not easy to satisfy this criterion in practice - which requires a large number of events. It has been well-known for years that least squares procedures lead to biased results when applied to Poisson-distributed data; a recent paper providing extensive characterization of these biases in exponential fitting is given. The more appropriate measure based on the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for the Poisson distribution is also well known, but has not become generally used. This is primarily because, in contrast to non-linear least squares fitting, there has been no quick, robust, and general fitting method. In the field of fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy and imaging, there have been some efforts to use this estimator through minimization routines such as Nelder-Mead optimization, exhaustive line searches, and Gauss-Newton minimization. Minimization based on specific one- or multi-exponential models has been used to obtain quick results, but this procedure does not allow the incorporation of the instrument response, and is not generally applicable to models found in other fields. Methods for using the MLE for Poisson-distributed data have been published by the wider spectroscopic community, including iterative minimization schemes based on Gauss-Newton minimization. The slow acceptance of these procedures for fitting event counting histograms may also be explained by the use of the ubiquitous, fast Levenberg-Marquardt (L-M) fitting procedure for fitting non-linear models using least squares fitting (simple searches obtain {approx}10000 references - this doesn't include those who use it, but don't know they are using it). The benefits of L-M include a seamless transition between Gauss-Newton minimization and downward gradient minimization through the use of a regularization parameter. This transition is desirable because Gauss-Newton methods converge quickly, but only within a limited domain of convergence; on the other hand the downward gradient methods have a much wider domain of convergence, but converge extremely slowly nearer the minimum. L-M has the advantages of both procedures: relative insensitivity to initial parameters and rapid convergence. Scientists, when wanting an answer quickly, will fit data using L-M, get an answer, and move on. Only those that are aware of the bias issues will bother to fit using the more appropriate MLE for Poisson deviates. However, since there is a simple, analytical formula for the appropriate MLE measure for Poisson deviates, it is inexcusable that least squares estimators are used almost exclusively when fitting event counting histograms. There have been ways found to use successive non-linear least squares fitting to obtain similarly unbiased results, but this procedure is justified by simulation, must be re-tested when conditions change significantly, and requires two successive fits. There is a great need for a fitting routine for the MLE estimator for Poisson deviates that has convergence domains and rates comparable to the non-linear least squares L-M fitting. We show in this report that a simple way to achieve that goal is to use the L-M fitting procedure not to minimize the least squares measure, but the MLE for Poisson deviates.« less

  • - Far East Journal of Theoretical Statistics
    No abstract prepared.

  • ; ; ; ... - Journal of Physical Chemistry. A, Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment, and General Theory
    It is often convenient to know the minimum amount of data needed in order to obtain a result of desired accuracy and precision. It is a necessity in the case of subdiffraction-limited microscopies, such as stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, owing to the limited sample volumes and the extreme sensitivity of the samples to photobleaching and photodamage. We present a detailed comparison of probability-based techniques (the maximum likelihood method and methods based on the binomial and the Poisson distributions) with residual minimization-based techniques for retrieving the fluorescence decay parameters for various two-fluorophore mixtures, as a function of the total numbermore » of photon counts, in time-correlated, single-photon counting experiments. The probability-based techniques proved to be the most robust (insensitive to initial values) in retrieving the target parameters and, in fact, performed equivalently to 2-3 significant figures. This is to be expected, as we demonstrate that the three methods are fundamentally related. Furthermore, methods based on the Poisson and binomial distributions have the desirable feature of providing a bin-by-bin analysis of a single fluorescence decay trace, which thus permits statistics to be acquired using only the one trace for not only the mean and median values of the fluorescence decay parameters but also for the associated standard deviations. Lastly, these probability-based methods lend themselves well to the analysis of the sparse data sets that are encountered in subdiffraction-limited microscopies.« less