The Annals of Statistics

Inference in adaptive regression via the Kac–Rice formula

Jonathan E. Taylor, Joshua R. Loftus, and Ryan J. Tibshirani

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Abstract

We derive an exact $p$-value for testing a global null hypothesis in a general adaptive regression setting. Our approach uses the Kac–Rice formula [as described in Random Fields and Geometry (2007) Springer, New York] applied to the problem of maximizing a Gaussian process. The resulting test statistic has a known distribution in finite samples, assuming Gaussian errors. We examine this test statistic in the case of the lasso, group lasso, principal components and matrix completion problems. For the lasso problem, our test relates closely to the recently proposed covariance test of Lockhart et al. [Ann. Statist. (2004) 42 413–468].

In a few specific settings, our proposed tests will be less powerful than other previously known (and well-established) tests. However, it should be noted that the real strength of our proposal here is its generality. We provide a framework for constructing valid tests across a wide class of regularized regression problems, and as far as we can tell, such a unified view was not possible before this work.

Article information

Source
Ann. Statist., Volume 44, Number 2 (2016), 743-770.

Dates
Received: February 2015
Revised: September 2015
First available in Project Euclid: 17 March 2016

Permanent link to this document
https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.aos/1458245734

Digital Object Identifier
doi:10.1214/15-AOS1386

Mathematical Reviews number (MathSciNet)
MR3476616

Zentralblatt MATH identifier
1337.62304

Subjects
Primary: 62M40: Random fields; image analysis
Secondary: 62J05: Linear regression

Keywords
Gaussian processes convex analysis regularized regression

Citation

Taylor, Jonathan E.; Loftus, Joshua R.; Tibshirani, Ryan J. Inference in adaptive regression via the Kac–Rice formula. Ann. Statist. 44 (2016), no. 2, 743--770. doi:10.1214/15-AOS1386. https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.aos/1458245734


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Supplemental materials

  • Supplement to “Inference in adaptive regression via the Kac–Rice formula”. We provide some proofs, as well as supplementary details on computing the Kac–Rice test.
    Digital Object Identifier: doi:10.1214/15-AOS1386SUPP
    Supplemental files are immediately available to subscribers. Non-subscribers gain access to supplemental files with the purchase of the article.

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