Inference, Prediction, and Entropy-Rate Estimation of
Continuous-time, Discrete-event Processes

Sarah E. Marzen

W. M. Keck Science Department
Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pitzer College
925 N Mills Ave, Claremont, CA 91711 USA

and

James P. Crutchfield

Complexity Sciences Center
Physics Department
University of California at Davis
Davis, CA 95616

ABSTRACT: Inferring models, predicting the future, and estimating the entropy rate of discrete-time, discrete-event processes is well-worn ground. However, a much broader class of discrete-event processes operates in continuous-time. Here, we provide new methods for inferring, predicting, and estimating them. The methods rely on an extension of Bayesian structural inference that takes advantage of neural network's universal approximation power. Based on experiments with complex synthetic data, the methods are competitive with the state-of-the-art for prediction and entropy-rate estimation.


Sarah E. Marzen and James P. Crutchfield, “Inference, Prediction, and Entropy-Rate Estimation of Continuous-time, Discrete-event Processes”, Entropy 24 (2020) 1675.
doi:10.3390/e24111675.
[pdf]
arXiv.org:2005.03750 [cond-mat.stat-mech].