Robust spatial scalar-on-function regression: A Fisher-consistent redescending M-estimation approach

TL;DR

This paper introduces a robust estimation method for spatial scalar-on-function regression that effectively handles outliers and spatial dependence, improving stability and accuracy over existing approaches.

Contribution

It proposes a Fisher-consistent, redescending M-estimator framework with a new computational algorithm, enhancing robustness and efficiency in spatial functional regression.

Findings

Estimators outperform classical methods under data contamination.

Method achieves Fisher consistency and asymptotic normality.

Application shows improved predictive performance on air-quality data.

Abstract

We develop a Fisher-consistent redescending robust estimator for the spatial scalar-on-function regression model, where a scalar response depends on both a functional predictor and a spatial autoregressive lag. Existing estimation procedures for this model are typically based on likelihood methods or monotone-loss robust M-estimators. They may be highly sensitive to vertical outliers, leverage points in the functional predictor, and numerical instability induced by strong spatial dependence. To address these issues, we propose a new estimation framework that first applies robust functional principal component analysis to obtain a contamination-resistant finite-dimensional representation of the functional predictor and then estimates the resulting spatial regression model through a bias-corrected system of M-estimating equations. The proposed method allows redescending loss functions, including Andrews' sine and Danish losses, and jointly estimates the regression coefficients, spatial dependence parameter, and scale parameter within a unified Fisher-consistent framework. For computation, we develop a hybrid IRLS-Newton algorithm that combines weighted least-squares updates for the regression parameters with a Newton-Raphson update for the spatial parameter. We establish Fisher consistency, consistency, asymptotic normality, and the asymptotic distribution of the reconstructed slope function. Monte Carlo experiments show that the proposed estimators remain competitive under clean data and substantially outperform classical and Huber-type robust competitors under contamination, particularly in severe outlier settings. An application to French air-quality data further demonstrates improved predictive performance and stable estimation of spatial dependence. Our method has been implemented in the fcsar R package.