Approximate Variational Estimation for a Model of Network Formation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19317935 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Angelo Mele (0000-0003-2890-6042, Johns Hopkins University), Lingjiong Zhu (0000-0001-7595-160X, Florida State University) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 105 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 113-124 |
| Publication date | 2023-01-06 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Review of Economics and Statistics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0034-6535 • E-ISSN: 1530-9142 |
| Publisher | MIT Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1162/rest_a_01023 |
| OpenAlex | W3159918802 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 26 |
We develop approximate estimation methods for exponential random graph models (ERGMs), whose likelihood is proportional to an intractable normalizing constant. The usual approach approximates this constant with Monte Carlo simulations; however, convergence may be exponentially slow. We propose a deterministic method, based on a variational mean-field approximation of the ERGM's normalizing constant. We compute lower and upper bounds for the approximation error for any network size, adapting nonlinear large deviation results. This translates into bounds on the distance between true likelihood and mean-field likelihood. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that in practice, our deterministic method performs better than our conservative theoretical approximation bounds imply, for a large class of models
Combinatorics · Constant (computer programming) · Convergence (economics) · Exponential random graph models · Graph · Mathematical optimization · Mean field theory · Monte Carlo method · Nonlinear system · Random graph · Rate of convergence · Statistics · Advanced Causal Inference Techniques · Applied Mathematics · Computer Science · Markov Chains and Monte Carlo Methods · Mathematics · Statistical Methods and Inference
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The Diffusion of Microfinance
Logit Models and Logistic Regressions for Social Networks
The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Networks
Bayesian inference for exponential random graph models
Birds of a feather, or friend of a friend? using exponential random graph models to investigate adolescent social networks
Social and Economic Networks
Beyond and Below Racial Homophily
Race, School Integration, and Friendship Segregation in America
| Citations per year | 0.25 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2022 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |