Classification based on a permanental process with cyclic approximation

We introduce a doubly stochastic marked point process model for supervised classification problems. Regardless of the number of classes or the dimension of the feature space, the model requires only 2--3 parameters for the covariance function. The classification criterion involves a permanental ratio for which an approximation using a polynomial-time cyclic expansion is proposed. The approximation is effective even if the feature region occupied by one class is a patchwork interlaced with regions occupied by other classes. An application to DNA microarray analysis indicates that the cyclic approximation is effective even for high-dimensional data. It can employ feature variables in an efficient way to reduce the prediction error significantly. This is critical when the true classification relies on nonreducible high-dimensional features. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.