# Comparing additive and multiplicative regressions using AIC in R

One of the basic things the students are taught in statistics classes is that the comparison of models using information criteria can only be done when the models have the same response variable. This means, for example, that when you have $$\log(y_t)$$ and calculate AIC, then this value is not comparable with AIC from a […]

# «smooth» package for R. Common ground. Part IV. Exogenous variables. Advanced stuff

Previously we’ve covered the basics of exogenous variables in smooth functions. Today we will go slightly crazy and discuss automatic variables selection. But before we do that, we need to look at a Santa’s little helper function implemented in smooth. It is called xregExpander(). It is useful in cases when you think that your exogenous […]

# «smooth» package for R. Common ground. Part III. Exogenous variables. Basic stuff

One of the features of the functions in smooth package is the ability to use exogenous (aka “external”) variables. This potentially leads to the increase in the forecasting accuracy (given that you have a good estimate of the future exogenous variable). For example, in retail this can be a binary variable for promotions and we […]

# smooth functions in 2017

Over the year 2017 the smooth package has grown from v1.6.0 to v2.3.1. Now it is much more mature and has more downloads. It even now has its own hex (thanks to Fotios Petropoulos): A lot of changes happened in 2017, and it is hard to mention all of them, but the major ones are: […]

# Conferences 2018

Next year I’m going to attend several forecasting-related conferences. I’ve decided to make a list in order not to forget what to attend. Here it is: International Symposium on Forecasting, 17-20 June, 2018, Boulder, Colorado, USA. This is the key event in forecasting, which any self-respecting forecaster should not miss. I don’t know what to […]

# «smooth» package for R. Common ground. Part II. Estimators

A bit about estimates of parameters Hi everyone! Today I want to tell you about parameters estimation of smooth functions. But before going into details, there are several things that I want to note. In this post we will discuss bias, efficiency and consistency of estimates of parameters, so I will use phrases like “efficient […]

# Multiplicative State-Space Models for Intermittent Time Series

John Boylan and I have been working on a paper about state-space models for intermittent data. We have had some good progress in that direction and have submitted the paper to IJF. Although it is still under review, we decided to publish the working paper in order to promote the thing. Here’s the abstract: Intermittent […]

# Lecture in HSE, Saint Petersburg

Yesterday I gave a lecture to the master students of Higher School Economics, Saint Petersburg (“Marketing Analytics” programme). This was a very general lecture on “Modern Forecasting”, covering forecasting problems in practice, the solutions to these problems and modern scientific directions in the field. It seems that the lecture was well received and brought up […]

# Old dog, new tricks: a modelling view of simple moving averages

Fotios Petropoulos and I have recently written a paper about a statistical model, underlying Simple Moving Average. Although we are usually taught in Forecasting courses, that there is no such thing, we found one. We have submitted this paper to International Journal of Production Research, and it has been recently accepted (took us ~4 months). […]

# International Symposium on Forecasting 2017

In Cairns, Australia, I have presented the topic from Bath — One for all: forecasting intermittent and non-intermittent demand using one model. It was well received although one of the professors did not understand the main point of the presentation and I could not explain him, why this is important and why the proposed approach […]