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Alexis Boulin

Publications and source records attributed to Alexis Boulin.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Dimension Reduction in Multivariate Extremes via Latent Linear Factor Models

We propose a new and interpretable class of high-dimensional tail dependence models based on latent linear factor structures. Specifically, extremal dependence of an observable vector is assumed to be driven by a lower-dimensional latent $K$-factor model, where $K \ll d$, thereby inducing an explicit form of dimension reduction. Geometrically, this is reflected in the support of the associated spectral dependence measure, whose intrinsic dimension is at most $K-1$. The loading structure may additionally exhibit sparsity, meaning that each component is influenced by only a small number of latent factors, which further enhances interpretability and scalability. Under mild structural assumptions, we establish identifiability of the model parameters and provide a constructive recovery procedure based on a margin-free tail pairwise dependence matrix, which also yields practical rank-based estimation methods. The framework combines naturally with marginal tail models and is particularly well suited to high-dimensional settings. We illustrate its applicability in a spatial wind energy application, where the latent factor structure enables tractable estimation of the risk that a large proportion of turbines simultaneously fall below their cut-in wind speed thresholds.

stat.ME

Extrapolating into the Extremes with Minimum Distance Estimation

Understanding complex dependencies and extrapolating beyond observations are key challenges in modeling environmental space-time extremes. To address this, we introduce a simplifying approach that projects a wide range of multivariate exceedance problems onto a univariate peaks-over-threshold problem. In this framework, an estimator is computed by minimizing the $L_2$-distance between the empirical distribution function of the data and the theoretical distribution of the model. Asymptotic properties of this estimator are derived and validated in a simulation study. We evaluated our estimator in the EVA (2025) conference Data Challenge as part of Team Bochum's submission. The challenge provided precipitation data from four runs of LENS2, an ensemble of long-term weather simulations, on a $5 \times 5$ grid of locations centered at the grid point closest to Asheville, NC. Our estimator achieved a top-three rank in two of six competitive categories and won the overall preliminary challenge against ten competing teams.

stat.ME

Structured linear factor models for tail dependence

A common object to describe the extremal dependence of a $d$-variate random vector $X$ is the stable tail dependence function $L$. Various parametric models have emerged, with a popular subclass consisting of those stable tail dependence functions that arise for linear and max-linear factor models with heavy tailed factors. The stable tail dependence function is then parameterized by a $d \times K$ matrix $A$, where $K$ is the number of factors and where $A$ can be interpreted as a factor loading matrix. We study estimation of $L$ under an additional assumption on $A$ called the `pure variable assumption'. Both $K \in \{1, \dots, d\}$ and $A \in [0, \infty)^{d \times K}$ are treated as unknown, which constitutes an unconventional parameter space that does not fit into common estimation frameworks. We suggest two algorithms that allow to estimate $K$ and $A$, and provide finite sample guarantees for both algorithms. Remarkably, the guarantees allow for the case where the dimension $d$ is larger than the sample size $n$. The results are illustrated with numerical experiments and two case studies.

math.ST

Estimating Max-Stable Random Vectors with Discrete Spectral Measure using Model-Based Clustering

This study introduces a novel estimation method for the entries and structure of a matrix $A$ in the linear factor model $\mathbf{X} = A\textbf{Z} + \textbf{E}$. This is applied to an observable vector $\mathbf{X} \in \mathbb{R}^d$ with $\textbf{Z} \in \mathbb{R}^K$, a vector composed of independently regularly varying random variables, and lighter tail noise $\textbf{E} \in \mathbb{R}^d$. The spectral measure of the regularly varying random vector $\mathbf{X}$ is subsequently discrete and completely characterised by the matrix $A$. It follows that the behaviour of its maxima can be modelled by a max-stable random vector with discrete spectral measure. Every max-stable random vector with discrete spectral measure can be written as a linear factor model. Each row of the matrix $A$ is supposed to be both scaled and sparse. Additionally, the value of $K$ is not known a priori. The problem of identifying the matrix $A$ from its matrix of pairwise extremal correlation is addressed. In the presence of pure variables, which are elements of $\mathbf{X}$ linked, through $A$, to a single latent factor, the matrix $A$ can be reconstructed from the extremal correlation matrix. Our proofs of identifiability are constructive and pave the way for our innovative estimation for determining the number of factors $K$ and the matrix $A$ from $n$ weakly dependent observations on $\mathbf{X}$. We apply the suggested method to weekly maxima rainfall and wildfires to illustrate its applicability.

math.ST

Identifying regions of concomitant compound precipitation and wind speed extremes over Europe

The task of simplifying the complex spatio-temporal variables associated with climate modeling is of utmost importance and comes with significant challenges. In this research, our primary objective is to tailor clustering techniques to handle compound extreme events within gridded climate data across Europe. Specifically, we intend to identify subregions that display asymptotic independence concerning compound precipitation and wind speed extremes. To achieve this, we utilise daily precipitation sums and daily maximum wind speed data derived from the ERA5 reanalysis dataset spanning from 1979 to 2022. Our approach hinges on a tuning parameter and the application of a divergence measure to spotlight disparities in extremal dependence structures without relying on specific parametric assumptions. We propose a data-driven approach to determine the tuning parameter. This enables us to generate clusters that are spatially concentrated, which can provide more insightful information about the regional distribution of compound precipitation and wind speed extremes. In the process, we aim to elucidate the respective roles of extreme precipitation and wind speed in the resulting clusters. The proposed method is able to extract valuable information about extreme compound events while also significantly reducing the size of the dataset within reasonable computational timeframes.

stat.AP

High-dimensional variable clustering based on maxima of a weakly dependent random process

We propose a new class of models for variable clustering called Asymptotic Independent block (AI-block) models, which defines population-level clusters based on the independence of the maxima of a multivariate stationary mixing random process among clusters. This class of models is identifiable, meaning that there exists a maximal element with a partial order between partitions, allowing for statistical inference. We also present an algorithm depending on a tuning parameter that recovers the clusters of variables without specifying the number of clusters \emph{a priori}. Our work provides some theoretical insights into the consistency of our algorithm, demonstrating that under certain conditions it can effectively identify clusters in the data with a computational complexity that is polynomial in the dimension. A data-driven selection method for the tuning parameter is also proposed. To further illustrate the significance of our work, we applied our method to neuroscience and environmental real-datasets. These applications highlight the potential and versatility of the proposed approach.

math.ST

A Python Package for Sampling from Copulae: clayton

The package \textsf{clayton} is designed to be intuitive, user-friendly, and efficient. It offers a wide range of copula models, including Archimedean, Elliptical, and Extreme. The package is implemented in pure \textsf{Python}, making it easy to install and use. In addition, we provide detailed documentation and examples to help users get started quickly. We also conduct a performance comparison with existing \textsf{R} packages, demonstrating the efficiency of our implementation. The \textsf{clayton} package is a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners working with copulas in \textsf{Python}.

stat.CO

Non-parametric estimator of a multivariate madogram for missing-data and extreme value framework

The modeling of dependence between maxima is an important subject in several applications in risk analysis. To this aim, the extreme value copula function, characterised via the madogram, can be used as a margin-free description of the dependence structure. From a practical point of view, the family of extreme value distributions is very rich and arise naturally as the limiting distribution of properly normalised component-wise maxima. In this paper, we investigate the nonparametric estimation of the madogram where data are completely missing at random. We provide the functional central limit theorem for the considered multivariate madrogram correctly normalized, towards a tight Gaussian process for which the covariance function depends on the probabilities of missing. Explicit formula for the asymptotic variance is also given. Our results are illustrated in a finite sample setting with a simulation study.

math.ST