Search arXiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Martin Bladt

Publications and source records attributed to Martin Bladt.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2025

matrixdist: An R Package for Statistical Analysis of Matrix Distributions

The matrixdist R package provides a comprehensive suite of tools for the statistical analysis of matrix distributions, including phase-type, inhomogeneous phase-type, discrete phase-type, and related multivariate distributions. This paper introduces the package and its key features, including the estimation of these distributions and their extensions through expectation-maximisation algorithms, as well as the implementation of regression through the proportional intensities and mixture-of-experts models. Additionally, the paper provides an overview of the theoretical background, discusses the algorithms and methods implemented in the package, and offers practical examples to illustrate the application of matrixdist in real-world actuarial problems. The matrixdist R package aims to provide researchers and practitioners a wide set of tools for analysing and modelling complex data using matrix distributions.

stat.CO↗
arXiv2025

Modeling discrete common-shock risks through matrix distributions

We introduce a novel class of bivariate common-shock discrete phase-type (CDPH) distributions to describe dependencies in loss modeling, with an emphasis on those induced by common shocks. By constructing two jointly evolving terminating Markov chains that share a common evolution up to a random time corresponding to the common shock component, and then proceed independently, we capture the essential features of risk events influenced by shared and individual-specific factors. We derive explicit expressions for the joint distribution of the termination times and prove various class and distributional properties, facilitating tractable analysis of the risks. Extending this framework, we model random sums where aggregate claims are sums of continuous phase-type random variables with counts determined by these termination times, and show that their joint distribution belongs to the multivariate phase-type or matrix-exponential class. We develop estimation procedures for the CDPH distributions using the expectation-maximization algorithm and demonstrate the applicability of our models through simulation studies and an application to bivariate insurance claim frequency data.

math.ST↗
arXiv2025

Conditional Aalen--Johansen estimation

The conditional Aalen--Johansen estimator, a general-purpose non-parametric estimator of conditional state occupation probabilities, is introduced. The estimator is applicable for any finite-state jump process and supports conditioning on external as well as internal covariate information. The conditioning feature permits for a much more detailed analysis of the distributional characteristics of the process. The estimator reduces to the conditional Kaplan--Meier estimator in the special case of a survival model and also englobes other, more recent, landmark estimators when covariates are discrete. Strong uniform consistency and asymptotic normality are established under lax moment conditions on the multivariate counting process, allowing in particular for an unbounded number of transitions.

math.ST↗
arXiv2025

Censored extreme value estimation

A novel and comprehensive methodology designed to tackle the challenges posed by extreme values in the context of random censorship is introduced. The main focus is on the analysis of integrals based on the product-limit estimator of normalized upper order statistics, called extreme Kaplan--Meier integrals. These integrals allow for the transparent derivation of various important asymptotic distributional properties, offering an alternative approach to conventional plug-in estimation methods. Notably, this methodology demonstrates robustness and wide applicability among various tail regimes. A noteworthy by-product is the extension of generalized Hill-type estimators of extremes to encompass arbitrary tail behavior, which is of independent interest. The theoretical framework is applied to construct novel estimators for real-valued extreme value indices for right-censored data. Simulation studies confirm the asymptotic results and, in a competitor case, mostly show superiority in mean square error. An application to brain cancer data demonstrates that censoring effects are properly accounted for, even when focusing solely on tail classification.

math.ST↗
arXiv2024

Censored and extreme losses: functional convergence and applications to tail goodness-of-fit

This paper establishes the functional convergence of the Extreme Nelson--Aalen and Extreme Kaplan--Meier estimators, which are designed to capture the heavy-tailed behaviour of censored losses. The resulting limit representations can be used to obtain the distributions of pathwise functionals with respect to the so-called tail process. For instance, we may recover the convergence of a censored Hill estimator, and we further investigate two goodness-of-fit statistics for the tail of the loss distribution. Using the the latter limit theorems, we propose two rules for selecting a suitable number of order statistics, both based on test statistics derived from the functional convergence results. The effectiveness of these selection rules is investigated through simulations and an application to a real dataset comprised of French motor insurance claim sizes.

stat.ME↗
arXiv2024

Heterogeneous extremes in the presence of random covariates and censoring

The task of analyzing extreme events with censoring effects is considered under a framework allowing for random covariate information. A wide class of estimators that can be cast as product-limit integrals is considered, for when the conditional distributions belong to the Frechet max-domain of attraction. The main mathematical contribution is establishing uniform conditions on the families of the regularly varying tails for which the asymptotic behaviour of the resulting estimators is tractable. In particular, a decomposition of the integral estimators in terms of exchangeable sums is provided, which leads to a law of large numbers and several central limit theorems. Subsequently, the finite-sample behaviour of the estimators is explored through a simulation study, and through the analysis of two real-life datasets. In particular, the inclusion of covariates makes the model significantly versatile and, as a consequence, practically relevant.

math.ST↗
arXiv2024

Individual claims reserving using the Aalen--Johansen estimator

We propose an individual claims reserving model based on the conditional Aalen-Johansen estimator, as developed in Bladt and Furrer (2023b). In our approach, we formulate a multi-state problem, where the underlying variable is the individual claim size, rather than time. The states in this model represent development periods, and we estimate the cumulative density function of individual claim sizes using the conditional Aalen-Johansen method as transition probabilities to an absorbing state. Our methodology reinterprets the concept of multi-state models and offers a strategy for modeling the complete curve of individual claim sizes. To illustrate our approach, we apply our model to both simulated and real datasets. Having access to the entire dataset enables us to support the use of our approach by comparing the predicted total final cost with the actual amount, as well as evaluating it in terms of the continuously ranked probability score.

stat.AP↗
arXiv2023

Informed censoring: the parametric combination of data and expert information

The statistical censoring setup is extended to the situation when random measures can be assigned to the realization of datapoints, leading to a new way of incorporating expert information into the usual parametric estimation procedures. The asymptotic theory is provided for the resulting estimators, and some special cases of practical relevance are studied in more detail. Although the proposed framework mathematically generalizes censoring and coarsening at random, and borrows techniques from M-estimation theory, it provides a novel and transparent methodology which enjoys significant practical applicability in situations where expert information is present. The potential of the approach is illustrated by a concrete actuarial application of tail parameter estimation for a heavy-tailed MTPL dataset with limited available expert information.

stat.ME↗
arXiv2023

Strongly convergent homogeneous approximations to inhomogeneous Markov jump processes and applications

The study of time-inhomogeneous Markov jump processes is a traditional topic within probability theory that has recently attracted substantial attention in various applications. However, their flexibility also incurs a substantial mathematical burden which is usually circumvented by using well-known generic distributional approximations or simulations. This article provides a novel approximation method that tailors the dynamics of a time-homogeneous Markov jump process to meet those of its time-inhomogeneous counterpart on an increasingly fine Poisson grid. Strong convergence of the processes in terms of the Skorokhod $J_1$ metric is established, and convergence rates are provided. Under traditional regularity assumptions, distributional convergence is established for unconditional proxies, to the same limit. Special attention is devoted to the case where the target process has one absorbing state and the remaining ones transient, for which the absorption times also converge. Some applications are outlined, such as univariate hazard-rate density estimation, ruin probabilities, and multivariate phase-type density evaluation.

math.PR↗
arXiv2023

Expert Kaplan--Meier estimation

The setting of a right-censored random sample subject to contamination is considered. In various fields, expert information is often available and used to overcome the contamination. This paper integrates expert knowledge into the product-limit estimator in two different ways with distinct interpretations. Strong uniform consistency is proved for both cases under certain assumptions on the kind of contamination and the quality of expert information, which sheds light on the techniques and decisions that practitioners may take. The nuances of the techniques are discussed -- also with a view towards semi-parametric estimation -- and they are illustrated using simulated and real-world insurance data.

stat.ME↗
arXiv2022

A tractable class of multivariate phase-type distributions for loss modeling

Phase-type (PH) distributions are a popular tool for the analysis of univariate risks in numerous actuarial applications. Their multivariate counterparts (MPH$^\ast$), however, have not seen such a proliferation, due to lack of explicit formulas and complicated estimation procedures. A simple construction of multivariate phase-type distributions -- mPH -- is proposed for the parametric description of multivariate risks, leading to models of considerable probabilistic flexibility and statistical tractability. The main idea is to start different Markov processes at the same state, and allow them to evolve independently thereafter, leading to dependent absorption times. By dimension augmentation arguments, this construction can be cast into the umbrella of MPH$^\ast$ class, but enjoys explicit formulas which the general specification lacks, including common measures of dependence. Moreover, it is shown that the class is still rich enough to be dense on the set of multivariate risks supported on the positive orthant, and it is the smallest known sub-class to have this property. In particular, the latter result provides a new short proof of the denseness of the MPH$^\ast$ class. In practice this means that the mPH class allows for modeling of bivariate risks with any given correlation or copula. We derive an EM algorithm for its statistical estimation, and illustrate it on bivariate insurance data. Extensions to more general settings are outlined.

math.PR↗
arXiv2022

Mortality modeling and regression with matrix distributions

In this paper we investigate the flexibility of matrix distributions for the modeling of mortality. Starting from a simple Gompertz law, we show how the introduction of matrix-valued parameters via inhomogeneous phase-type distributions can lead to reasonably accurate and relatively parsimonious models for mortality curves across the entire lifespan. A particular feature of the proposed model framework is that it allows for a more direct interpretation of the implied underlying aging process than some previous approaches. Subsequently, towards applications of the approach for multi-population mortality modeling, we introduce regression via the concept of proportional intensities, which are more flexible than proportional hazard models, and we show that the two classes are asymptotically equivalent. We illustrate how the model parameters can be estimated from data by providing an adapted EM algorithm for which the likelihood increases at each iteration. The practical feasibility and competitiveness of the proposed approach, including the right-censored case, are illustrated by several sets of mortality and survival data.

stat.ME↗
arXiv2022

Estimating absorption time distributions of general Markov jump processes

The estimation of absorption time distributions of Markov jump processes is an important task in various branches of statistics and applied probability. While the time-homogeneous case is classic, the time-inhomogeneous case has recently received increased attention due to its added flexibility and advances in computational power. However, commuting sub-intensity matrices are assumed, which in various cases limits the parsimonious properties of the resulting representation. This paper develops the theory required to solve the general case through maximum likelihood estimation, and in particular, using the expectation-maximization algorithm. A reduction to a piecewise constant intensity matrix function is proposed in order to provide succinct representations, where a parametric linear model binds the intensities together. Practical aspects are discussed and illustrated through the estimation of notoriously demanding theoretical distributions and real data, from the perspective of matrix analytic methods.

math.ST↗
arXiv2022

Joint discrete and continuous matrix distribution modelling

In this paper we introduce a bivariate distribution on $\mathbb{R}_{+} \times \mathbb{N}$ arising from a single underlying Markov jump process. The marginal distributions are phase-type and discrete phase-type distributed, respectively, which allow for flexible behavior for modeling purposes. We show that the distribution is dense in the class of distributions on $\mathbb{R}_{+} \times \mathbb{N}$ and derive some of its main properties, all explicit in terms of matrix calculus. Furthermore, we develop an effective EM algorithm for the statistical estimation of the distribution parameters. In the last part of the paper, we apply our methodology to an insurance dataset, where we model the number of claims and the mean claim sizes of policyholders, which is seen to perform favorably. An additional consequence of the latter analysis is that the total loss size in the entire portfolio is captured substantially better than with independent phase-type models.

stat.ME↗
arXiv2022

Tail Measures and Regular Variation

A general framework for the study of regular variation (RV) is that of Polish star-shaped metric spaces, while recent developments in [1] have discussed RV with respect to some properly localised boundedness $\mathcal{B}$ imposing weak assumptions on the structure of Polish space. Along the lines of the latter approach, we discuss the RV of Borel measures and random processes on general Polish metric spaces. Tail measures introduced in [2] appear naturally as limiting measures of regularly varying time series. We define tail measures on a measurable space indexed by $\mathcal{H}(D)$, a countable family of homogeneous coordinate maps, and show some tractable instances for the investigation of RV when $\mathcal{B}$ is determined by $\mathcal{H}(D)$. This allows us to study the regular variation of cadlag processes on $D(R^l, R^d)$ retrieving in particular results obtained in [1] for RV of stationary cadlag processes on the real line removing $l=1$ therein. Further, we discuss potential applications and open questions.

math.PR↗
arXiv2022

Phase-type mixture-of-experts regression for loss severities

The task of modeling claim severities is addressed when data is not consistent with the classical regression assumptions. This framework is common in several lines of business within insurance and reinsurance, where catastrophic losses or heterogeneous sub-populations result in data difficult to model. Their correct analysis is required for pricing insurance products, and some of the most prevalent recent specifications in this direction are mixture-of-experts models. This paper proposes a regression model that generalizes the latter approach to the phase-type distribution setting. More specifically, the concept of mixing is extended to the case where an entire Markov jump process is unobserved and where states can communicate with each other. The covariates then act on the initial probabilities of such underlying chain, which play the role of expert weights. The basic properties of such a model are computed in terms of matrix functionals, and denseness properties are derived, demonstrating their flexibility. An effective estimation procedure is proposed, based on the EM algorithm and multinomial logistic regression, and subsequently illustrated using simulated and real-world datasets. The increased flexibility of the proposed models does not come at a high computational cost, and the motivation and interpretation are equally transparent to simpler MoE models.

math.ST↗
arXiv2021

Heavy-tailed phase-type distributions: A unified approach

A phase-type distribution is the distribution of the time until absorption in a finite state-space time-homogeneous Markov jump process, with one absorbing state and the rest being transient. These distributions are mathematically tractable and conceptually attractive to model physical phenomena due to their interpretation in terms of a hidden Markov structure. Three recent extensions of regular phase-type distributions give rise to models which allow for heavy tails: discrete- or continuous-scaling; fractional-time semi-Markov extensions; and inhomogeneous time-change of the underlying Markov process. In this paper, we present a unifying theory for heavy-tailed phase-type distributions for which all three approaches are particular cases. Our main objective is to provide useful models for heavy-tailed phase-type distributions, but any other tail behavior is also captured by our specification. We provide relevant new examples and also show how existing approaches are naturally embedded. Subsequently, two multivariate extensions are presented, inspired by the univariate construction which can be considered as a matrix version of a frailty model. We provide fully explicit EM-algorithms for all models and illustrate them using synthetic and real-life data.

math.ST↗