Non-parametric regression

Nonparametric regression is a category of regression analysis in which the predictor does not take a predetermined form but is constructed according to information derived from the data. Nonparametric regression requires larger sample sizes than regression based on parametric models because the data must supply the model structure as well as the model estimates.

In Gaussian process regression, also known as Kriging, a Gaussian prior is assumed for the regression curve. The errors are assumed to have a multivariate normal distribution and the regression curve is estimated by its posterior mode. The Gaussian prior may depend on unknown hyperparameters, which are usually estimated via empirical Bayes.

Smoothing splines have an interpretation as the posterior mode of a Gaussian process regression.

Kernel regression estimates the continuous dependent variable from a limited set of data points by convolving the data points' locations with a kernel function—approximately speaking, the kernel function specifies how to "blur" the influence of the data points so that their values can be used to predict the value for nearby locations.

Nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR) is a form of nonparametric regression based on multiplicative kernel estimation. Like other regression methods, the goal is to estimate a response (dependent variable) based on one or more predictors (independent variables). NPMR can be a good choice for a regression method if the following are true:

This is a smoothing technique that can be cross-validated and applied in a predictive way.

NPMR has been useful for modeling the response of an organism to its environment. Organismal response to environment tends to be nonlinear and have complex interactions among predictors. NPMR allows you to model automatically the complex interactions among predictors in much the same way that organisms integrate the numerous factors affecting their performance.

A key biological feature of an NPMR model is that failure of an organism to tolerate any single dimension of the predictor space results in overall failure of the organism. For example, assume that a plant needs a certain range of moisture in a particular temperature range. If either temperature or moisture fall outside the tolerance of the organism, then the organism dies. If it is too hot, then no amount of moisture can compensate to result in survival of the plant. Mathematically this works with NPMR because the product of the weights for the target point is zero or near zero if any of the weights for individual predictors (moisture or temperature) are zero or near zero. Note further that in this simple example, the second condition listed above is probably true: the response of the plant to moisture probably depends on temperature and vice versa.

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