Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach

In geodesy as well as in geophysics there are a number of examples where the unknown parameters are partly constrained to be integer numbers, while other parameters have a continuous range of possible values. In all such situations the ordinary least square principle, with integer variates fixed to...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: G. Venuti, F. Sansò
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) 1997-06-01
Series:Annals of Geophysics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/3878
_version_ 1817994090015358976
author G. Venuti
F. Sansò
author_facet G. Venuti
F. Sansò
author_sort G. Venuti
collection DOAJ
description In geodesy as well as in geophysics there are a number of examples where the unknown parameters are partly constrained to be integer numbers, while other parameters have a continuous range of possible values. In all such situations the ordinary least square principle, with integer variates fixed to the most probable integer value, can lead to paradoxical results, due to the strong non-linearity of the manifold of admissible values. On the contrary an overall estimation procedure assigning the posterior distribution to all variables, discrete and continuous, conditional to the observed quantities, like the so-called Bayesian approach, has the advantage of weighting correctly the possible errors in choosing different sets of integer values, thus providing a more realistic and stable estimate even of the continuous parameters. In this paper, after a short recall of the basics of Bayesian theory in section 2, we present the natural Bayesian solution to the problem of assessing the estimable signal from noisy observations in section 3 and the Bayesian solution to cycle slips detection and repair for a stream of GPS measurements in section 4. An elementary synthetic example is discussed in section 3 to illustrate the theory presented and more elaborate, though synthetic, examples are discussed in section 4 where realistic streams of GPS observations, with cycle slips, are simulated and then back processed.
first_indexed 2024-04-14T01:47:22Z
format Article
id doaj.art-ffae8f14c2be49f4b955c2122a38b7e6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1593-5213
2037-416X
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-14T01:47:22Z
publishDate 1997-06-01
publisher Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
record_format Article
series Annals of Geophysics
spelling doaj.art-ffae8f14c2be49f4b955c2122a38b7e62022-12-22T02:19:29ZengIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)Annals of Geophysics1593-52132037-416X1997-06-0140510.4401/ag-3878Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approachG. VenutiF. SansòIn geodesy as well as in geophysics there are a number of examples where the unknown parameters are partly constrained to be integer numbers, while other parameters have a continuous range of possible values. In all such situations the ordinary least square principle, with integer variates fixed to the most probable integer value, can lead to paradoxical results, due to the strong non-linearity of the manifold of admissible values. On the contrary an overall estimation procedure assigning the posterior distribution to all variables, discrete and continuous, conditional to the observed quantities, like the so-called Bayesian approach, has the advantage of weighting correctly the possible errors in choosing different sets of integer values, thus providing a more realistic and stable estimate even of the continuous parameters. In this paper, after a short recall of the basics of Bayesian theory in section 2, we present the natural Bayesian solution to the problem of assessing the estimable signal from noisy observations in section 3 and the Bayesian solution to cycle slips detection and repair for a stream of GPS measurements in section 4. An elementary synthetic example is discussed in section 3 to illustrate the theory presented and more elaborate, though synthetic, examples are discussed in section 4 where realistic streams of GPS observations, with cycle slips, are simulated and then back processed.http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/3878Bayesian theoryprior and posterior probabilityinteger and continuous variables
spellingShingle G. Venuti
F. Sansò
Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach
Annals of Geophysics
Bayesian theory
prior and posterior probability
integer and continuous variables
title Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach
title_full Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach
title_fullStr Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach
title_full_unstemmed Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach
title_short Integer variables estimation problems: the Bayesian approach
title_sort integer variables estimation problems the bayesian approach
topic Bayesian theory
prior and posterior probability
integer and continuous variables
url http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/3878
work_keys_str_mv AT gvenuti integervariablesestimationproblemsthebayesianapproach
AT fsanso integervariablesestimationproblemsthebayesianapproach