George G. Judge

This book is intended to provide the reader with a firm conceptual and empirical understanding of basic information-theoretic econometric models and methods. Because most data are observational, practitioners work with indirect noisy observations and ill-posed econometric models in the form of stochastic inverse problems. Consequently, traditional econometric methods in many cases are not applicable for answering many of the quantitative questions that analysts wish to ask. After initial chapters deal with parametric and semiparametric linear probability models, the focus turns to solving nonparametric stochastic inverse problems. In succeeding chapters, a family of power divergence measure-likelihood functions are introduced for a range of traditional and nontraditional econometric-model problems. Finally, within either an empirical maximum likelihood or loss context, Ron C. Mittelhammer and George G. Judge suggest a basis for choosing a member of the divergence family.

This book is intended to provide the reader with a firm conceptual and empirical understanding of basic information-theoretic econometric models and methods. Because most data are observational, practitioners work with indirect noisy observations and ill-posed econometric models in the form of stochastic inverse problems. Consequently, traditional econometric methods in many cases are not applicable for answering many of the quantitative questions that analysts wish to ask. After initial chapters deal with parametric and semiparametric linear probability models, the focus turns to solving nonparametric stochastic inverse problems. In succeeding chapters, a family of power divergence measure-likelihood functions are introduced for a range of traditional and nontraditional econometric-model problems. Finally, within either an empirical maximum likelihood or loss context, Ron C. Mittelhammer and George G. Judge suggest a basis for choosing a member of the divergence family.

In the theory and practice of econometrics the model, the methodand the data are all interdependent links in informationrecovery-estimation and inference. Seldom, however, are theeconomic and statistical models correctly specified, the datacomplete or capable of being replicated, the estimation rulesoptimal and the inferences free of distortion. Faced with theseproblems, Maximum Entropy Economeirics provides a new basis forlearning from economic and statistical models that may benon-regular in the sense that they are ill-posed or underdeterminedand the data are partial or incomplete. By extending the maximumentropy formalisms used in the physical sciences, the authorspresent a new set of generalized entropy techniques designed torecover information about economic systems. The authors compare thegeneralized entropy techniques with the performance of the relevanttraditional methods of information recovery and clearly demonstratetheories with applications including * Pure inverse problems that include first order Markov processes,and input-output, multisectoral or SAM models to * Inverse problems with noise that include statistical modelssubject to ill-conditioning, non-normal errors, heteroskedasticity,autocorrelation, censored, multinomial and simultaneous responsedata, as well as model selection and non-stationary and dynamiccontrol problems Maximum Entropy Econometrics will be of interest to econometricianstrying to devise procedures for recovering information from partialor incomplete data, as well as quantitative economists in financeand business, statisticians, and students and applied researchersin econometrics, engineering and the physical sciences.

Designed to promote students' understanding of econometrics and to build a more operational knowledge of economics through a meaningful combination of words, symbols and ideas. Each chapter commences in the way economists begin new empirical projects--with a question and an economic model--then proceeds to develop a statistical model, select an estimator and outline inference procedures. Contains a copious amount of problems, experimental exercises and case studies.

This broadly based graduate-level textbook covers the major models and statistical tools currently used in the practice of econometrics. It examines the classical, the decision theory, and the Bayesian approaches, and contains material on single equation and simultaneous equation econometric models. Includes an extensive reference list for each topic.