arXiv subjects

Sven Pappert

Publications and source records attributed to Sven Pappert.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Copula-Based Time Series for Non-Gaussian and Non-Markovian Stationary Processes

In the copula-based approach to univariate time series modeling, the finite dimensional temporal dependence of a stationary time series is captured by a copula. Recent studies investigate how copula-based time series models can be generalized to have long-term autoregressive effects. We study a generalization that comes from a Markov sequence of order p and a q-dependent sequence. We derive the relation of the model to Gaussian-ARMA models and to the Gaussian-GARCH(1,1) model. We investigate distributional properties of the process and discuss the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). Additionally we analyze the copula moving aggregate process of order one, or MAG(1), as it is a basic building block. Last we test the model in probabilistic forecasting studies on US inflation and German wind energy production.

stat.ME↗

arXiv2025

Analyzing Uncertainty Quantification in Statistical and Deep Learning Models for Probabilistic Electricity Price Forecasting

Precise probabilistic forecasts are fundamental for energy risk management, and there is a wide range of both statistical and machine learning models for this purpose. Inherent to these probabilistic models is some form of uncertainty quantification. However, most models do not capture the full extent of uncertainty, which arises not only from the data itself but also from model and distributional choices. In this study, we examine uncertainty quantification in state-of-the-art statistical and deep learning probabilistic forecasting models for electricity price forecasting in the German market. In particular, we consider deep distributional neural networks (DDNNs) and augment them with an ensemble approach, Monte Carlo (MC) dropout, and conformal prediction to account for model uncertainty. Additionally, we consider the LASSO-estimated autoregressive (LEAR) approach combined with quantile regression averaging (QRA), generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH), and conformal prediction. Across a range of performance metrics, we find that the LEAR-based models perform well in terms of probabilistic forecasting, irrespective of the uncertainty quantification method. Furthermore, we find that DDNNs benefit from incorporating both data and model uncertainty, improving both point and probabilistic forecasting. Uncertainty itself appears to be best captured by the models using conformal prediction. Overall, our extensive study shows that all models under consideration perform competitively. However, their relative performance depends on the choice of metrics for point and probabilistic forecasting.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2025

The Field Equations of Penalized non-Parametric Regression

We view penalized risks through the lens of the calculus of variations. We consider risks comprised of a fitness-term (e.g. MSE) and a gradient-based penalty. After establishing the Euler-Lagrange field equations as a systematic approach to finding minimizers of risks involving only first derivatives, we proceed to exemplify this approach to the MSE penalized by the integral over the squared l2-norm of the gradient of the regression function. The minimizer of this risk is given as the solution to a second order inhomogeneous PDE, where the inhomogeneity is given as the conditional expectation of the target variable conditioned on the features. We discuss properties of the field equations and practical implications thereof, which also apply to the classical Ridge penalty for linear models, and embed our findings into the existing literature. In particular, we find that we can recover the Rudin-Osher-Fatemi model for image-denoising, if we consider the features as deterministic and evenly distributed. Last, we outline several directions for future research.

math.ST↗

arXiv2024

Interval Forecasts for Gas Prices in the Face of Structural Breaks -- Statistical Models vs. Neural Networks

Reliable gas price forecasts are an essential information for gas and energy traders, for risk managers and also economists. However, ahead of the war in Ukraine Europe began to suffer from substantially increased and volatile gas prices which culminated in the aftermath of the North Stream 1 explosion. This shock changed both trend and volatility structure of the prices and has considerable effects on forecasting models. In this study we investigate whether modern machine learning methods such as neural networks are more resilient against such changes than statistical models such as autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models with conditional heteroskedasticity, or copula-based time series models. Thereby the focus lies on interval forecasting and applying respective evaluation measures. As data, the Front Month prices from the Dutch Title Transfer Facility, currently the predominant European exchange, are used. We see that, during the shock period, most models underestimate the variance while overestimating the variance in the after-shock period. Furthermore, we recognize that, during the shock, the simpler models, i.e. an ARMA model with conditional heteroskedasticity and the multilayer perceptron (a neural network), perform best with regards to prediction interval coverage. Interestingly, the widely-used long-short term neural network is outperformed by its competitors.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

Moving Aggregate Modified Autoregressive Copula-Based Time Series Models (MAGMAR-Copulas)

Copula-based time series models can model univariate and stationary time series in a flexible way by decomposing the joint distribution of consecutive observations into a copula and the stationary distribution. Implicitly this approach assumes a finite Markov order. In reality a time series may not follow the Markov property. We modify the copula-based time series models by introducing a moving aggregate (MAG) part into the model updating equation. The functional form of the MAG-part is given as the conditional quantile function corresponding to a copula. The resulting MAG-modified Autoregressive Copula-Based Time Series model (MAGMAR-Copula) is discussed in detail and distributional properties are derived in a D-vine framework. We show that the stationary distribution implied by the model is not standard-uniform. Hence we propose an adjustment transformation that recovers the desired standard-uniformity. The model nests the classical ARMA model and can be interpreted as a non-linear generalization of the ARMA model. The modeling performance is evaluated by modeling US inflation. Our model is competitive with benchmark models in terms of information criteria.

stat.ME↗

arXiv2023

Forecasting Natural Gas Prices with Spatio-Temporal Copula-based Time Series Models

Commodity price time series possess interesting features, such as heavy-tailedness, skewness, heteroskedasticity, and non-linear dependence structures. These features pose challenges for modeling and forecasting. In this work, we explore how spatio-temporal copula-based time series models can be effectively employed for these purposes. We focus on price series for fossil fuels and carbon emissions. Further, we illustrate how the t-copula may be used in conditional heteroskedasticity modeling. The possible emergence of non-elliptical probabilistic forecasts in this context is examined and visualized. The problem of finding an appropriate point forecast given a non-elliptical probabilistic forecast is discussed. We propose a solution where the forecast is augmented with an artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN predicts the best (in MSE sense) quantile to use as point forecast. In a forecasting study, we find that the copula-based models are competitive.

stat.AP↗

arXiv2022

Modeling Volatility and Dependence of European Carbon and Energy Prices

We study the prices of European Emission Allowances (EUA), whereby we analyze their uncertainty and dependencies on related energy prices (natural gas, coal, and oil). We propose a probabilistic multivariate conditional time series model with a VECM-Copula-GARCH structure which exploits key characteristics of the data. Data are normalized with respect to inflation and carbon emissions to allow for proper cross-series evaluation. The forecasting performance is evaluated in an extensive rolling-window forecasting study, covering eight years out-of-sample. We discuss our findings for both levels- and log-transformed data, focusing on time-varying correlations, and in view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

q-fin.ST↗