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Main Authors: Løvbak, Emil, Krumscheid, Sebastian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05303
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author Løvbak, Emil
Krumscheid, Sebastian
author_facet Løvbak, Emil
Krumscheid, Sebastian
contents We investigate the use of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to sample posterior distribution in a Bayesian inverse problem, where the likelihood function is random. Concretely, we consider the case where one has full field observations of a PDE solution, in case a one-dimensional diffusion equation, subject to a Gaussian observation error. Assuming one uses a particle-based Monte Carlo simulation when approximating the likelihood function, one gets an approximate likelihood with additive Gaussian noise in the log-likelihood. We study how these two Gaussian distributions affect the distribution of ratios of approximate likelihood evaluations, as required when evaluating acceptance probabilities in the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. We do so through both theoretical analysis and numerical experiments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_05303
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle An Investigation into the Distribution of Ratios of Particle Solver-based Likelihoods
Løvbak, Emil
Krumscheid, Sebastian
Numerical Analysis
We investigate the use of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to sample posterior distribution in a Bayesian inverse problem, where the likelihood function is random. Concretely, we consider the case where one has full field observations of a PDE solution, in case a one-dimensional diffusion equation, subject to a Gaussian observation error. Assuming one uses a particle-based Monte Carlo simulation when approximating the likelihood function, one gets an approximate likelihood with additive Gaussian noise in the log-likelihood. We study how these two Gaussian distributions affect the distribution of ratios of approximate likelihood evaluations, as required when evaluating acceptance probabilities in the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. We do so through both theoretical analysis and numerical experiments.
title An Investigation into the Distribution of Ratios of Particle Solver-based Likelihoods
topic Numerical Analysis
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.05303