A conditional density estimation partition model using logistic Gaussian processes

SummaryConditional density estimation seeks to model the distribution of a response variable conditional on covariates. We propose a Bayesian partition model using logistic Gaussian processes to perform conditional density estimation. The partition takes the form of a Voronoi tessellation and is learned from the data using a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. The methodology models data in which the density changes sharply throughout the covariate space, and can be used to determine where important changes in the density occur. The Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm involves a Laplace approximation on the latent variables of the logistic Gaussian process model which marginalizes the parameters in each partition element, allowing an efficient search of the approximate posterior distribution of the tessellation. The method is consistent when the density is piecewise constant in the covariate space or when the density is Lipschitz continuous with respect to the covariates. In simulation and application to wind turbine data, the model successfully estimates the partition structure and conditional distribution.