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Main Author: Zhao, Qingyuan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15744
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author Zhao, Qingyuan
author_facet Zhao, Qingyuan
contents Directed mixed graphs permit directed and bidirected edges between any two vertices. They were first considered in the path analysis developed by Sewall Wright and play an essential role in statistical modeling. We introduce a matrix algebra for walks on such graphs. Each element of the algebra is a matrix whose entries are sets of walks on the graph from the corresponding row to the corresponding column. The matrix algebra is then generated by applying addition (set union), multiplication (concatenation), and transpose to the two basic matrices consisting of directed and bidirected edges. We use it to formalize, in the context of Gaussian linear systems, the correspondence between important graphical concepts such as latent projection and graph separation with important probabilistic concepts such as marginalization and (conditional) independence. In two further examples regarding confounder adjustment and the augmentation criterion, we illustrate how the algebra allows us to visualize complex graphical proofs. A "dictionary" and LATEX macros for the matrix algebra are provided in the Appendix.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_15744
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A matrix algebra for graphical statistical models
Zhao, Qingyuan
Statistics Theory
Directed mixed graphs permit directed and bidirected edges between any two vertices. They were first considered in the path analysis developed by Sewall Wright and play an essential role in statistical modeling. We introduce a matrix algebra for walks on such graphs. Each element of the algebra is a matrix whose entries are sets of walks on the graph from the corresponding row to the corresponding column. The matrix algebra is then generated by applying addition (set union), multiplication (concatenation), and transpose to the two basic matrices consisting of directed and bidirected edges. We use it to formalize, in the context of Gaussian linear systems, the correspondence between important graphical concepts such as latent projection and graph separation with important probabilistic concepts such as marginalization and (conditional) independence. In two further examples regarding confounder adjustment and the augmentation criterion, we illustrate how the algebra allows us to visualize complex graphical proofs. A "dictionary" and LATEX macros for the matrix algebra are provided in the Appendix.
title A matrix algebra for graphical statistical models
topic Statistics Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.15744