A Menu-Driven Software Package of Bayesian Nonparametric (and Parametric) Mixed Models for Regression Analysis and Density Estimation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive, user-friendly software package that offers 83 Bayesian models for regression and density estimation, facilitating complex data analysis with automated MCMC procedures and diverse prior options.

Contribution

It provides a novel, menu-driven MATLAB-based tool with extensive Bayesian models, including nonparametric and parametric options, for flexible and accessible regression analysis and density estimation.

Findings

Supports 83 Bayesian models for diverse data types

Automates MCMC sampling and output generation

Handles censored, weighted, and multi-level data

Abstract

Most of applied statistics involves regression analysis of data. This paper presents a stand-alone and menu-driven software package, Bayesian Regression: Nonparametric and Parametric Models. Currently, this package gives the user a choice from 83 Bayesian models for data analysis. They include 47 Bayesian nonparametric (BNP) infinite-mixture regression models; 5 BNP infinite-mixture models for density estimation; and 31 normal random effects models (HLMs), including normal linear models. Each of the 78 regression models handles either a continuous, binary, or ordinal dependent variable, and can handle multi-level (grouped) data. All 83 Bayesian models can handle the analysis of weighted observations (e.g., for meta-analysis), and the analysis of left-censored, right-censored, and/or interval-censored data. Each BNP infinite-mixture model has a mixture distribution assigned one of various BNP prior distributions, including priors defined by either the Dirichlet process, Pitman-Yor process (including the normalized stable process), beta (two-parameter) process, normalized inverse-Gaussian process, geometric weights prior, dependent Dirichlet process, or the dependent infinite-probits prior. The software user can mouse-click to select a Bayesian model and perform data analysis via Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling. After the sampling completes, the software automatically opens text output that reports MCMC-based estimates of the model's posterior distribution and model predictive fit to the data. Additional text and/or graphical output can be generated by mouse-clicking other menu options. This includes output of MCMC convergence analyses, and estimates of the model's posterior predictive distribution, for selected functionals and values of covariates. The software, constructed from MATLAB Compiler, is illustrated through the BNP regression analysis of real data.