A Simple Algorithm for Scalable Monte Carlo Inference
This addresses the scalability bottleneck for researchers in fields like biology and sociology who need to analyze large networks or dependent observations, though it builds on existing methods.
The paper tackled the problem of scalable maximum likelihood estimation for exponential family distributions, such as Ising models and Markov Random Fields, by deriving a simple algorithm based on the Equilibrium Expectation approach, resulting in orders of magnitude increase in the size of network data amenable to Monte Carlo inference.
The methods of statistical physics are widely used for modelling complex networks. Building on the recently proposed Equilibrium Expectation approach, we derive a simple and efficient algorithm for maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of parameters of exponential family distributions - a family of statistical models, that includes Ising model, Markov Random Field and Exponential Random Graph models. Computational experiments and analysis of empirical data demonstrate that the algorithm increases by orders of magnitude the size of network data amenable to Monte Carlo based inference. We report results suggesting that the applicability of the algorithm may readily be extended to the analysis of large samples of dependent observations commonly found in biology, sociology, astrophysics, and ecology.