Nathalie Peyrard – författare

The study of ecological systems is often impeded by components that escape perfect observation, such as the trajectories of moving animals or the status of plant seed banks. These hidden components can be efficiently handled with statistical modeling by using hidden variables, which are often called latent variables. Notably, the hidden variables framework enables us to model an underlying interaction structure between variables (including random effects in regression models) and perform data clustering, which are useful tools in the analysis of ecological data.This book provides an introduction to hidden variables in ecology, through recent works on statistical modeling as well as on estimation in models with latent variables. All models are illustrated with ecological examples involving different types of latent variables at different scales of organization, from individuals to ecosystems. Readers have access to the data and R codes to facilitate understanding of the model and to adapt inference tools to their own data.

The study of ecological systems is often impeded by components that escape perfect observation, such as the trajectories of moving animals or the status of plant seed banks. These hidden components can be efficiently handled with statistical modeling by using hidden variables, which are often called latent variables. Notably, the hidden variables framework enables us to model an underlying interaction structure between variables (including random effects in regression models) and perform data clustering, which are useful tools in the analysis of ecological data.This book provides an introduction to hidden variables in ecology, through recent works on statistical modeling as well as on estimation in models with latent variables. All models are illustrated with ecological examples involving different types of latent variables at different scales of organization, from individuals to ecosystems. Readers have access to the data and R codes to facilitate understanding of the model and to adapt inference tools to their own data.

Hidden Semi-Markov Models (HSMMs) have been extensively used for diverse applications where the objective is to analyze time series whose dynamics can be explained by a hidden process. A Comprehensive Guide to HSMM offers an accessible introduction to the framework of HSMM, covering the main methods and theoretical results for maximum likelihood estimation in HSMM. It also includes a unique review of existing R and Python software for HSMM estimation. The book then introduces less classical related topics, such as multi-chain HSMM and controlled HSMM, with an emphasis on the challenges related to computational complexity. This book is primarily intended for master's and PhD students, researchers and academic faculty in the fields of statistics, applied probability, graphical models, computer science and connected domains. It is also meant to be accessible to practitioners involved in modeling, analysis or control of time series in the fields of reliability, theoretical ecology, signal processing, finance, medicine and epidemiology.

Hidden Semi-Markov Models (HSMMs) have been extensively used for diverse applications where the objective is to analyze time series whose dynamics can be explained by a hidden process. A Comprehensive Guide to HSMM offers an accessible introduction to the framework of HSMM, covering the main methods and theoretical results for maximum likelihood estimation in HSMM. It also includes a unique review of existing R and Python software for HSMM estimation. The book then introduces less classical related topics, such as multi-chain HSMM and controlled HSMM, with an emphasis on the challenges related to computational complexity. This book is primarily intended for master's and PhD students, researchers and academic faculty in the fields of statistics, applied probability, graphical models, computer science and connected domains. It is also meant to be accessible to practitioners involved in modeling, analysis or control of time series in the fields of reliability, theoretical ecology, signal processing, finance, medicine and epidemiology.

The study of ecological systems is often impeded by components that escape perfect observation, such as the trajectories of moving animals or the status of plant seed banks. These hidden components can be efficiently handled with statistical modeling by using hidden variables, which are often called latent variables. Notably, the hidden variables framework enables us to model an underlying interaction structure between variables (including random effects in regression models) and perform data clustering, which are useful tools in the analysis of ecological data.This book provides an introduction to hidden variables in ecology, through recent works on statistical modeling as well as on estimation in models with latent variables. All models are illustrated with ecological examples involving different types of latent variables at different scales of organization, from individuals to ecosystems. Readers have access to the data and R codes to facilitate understanding of the model and to adapt inference tools to their own data.