Bayesian sparse graphical models and their mixtures using lasso selection priors

Abstract

We propose Bayesian methods for Gaussian graphical models that lead to sparse and adaptively shrunk estimators of the precision (inverse covariance) matrix. Our methods are based on lasso-type regularization priors leading to parsimonious parameterization of the precision matrix, which is essential in several applications involving learning relationships among the variables. In this context, we introduce a novel type of selection prior that develops a sparse structure on the precision matrix by making most of the elements exactly zero, in addition to ensuring positive definiteness -- thus conducting model selection and estimation simultaneously. We extend these methods to finite and infinite mixtures of Gaussian graphical models for clustered data using Dirichlet process priors. We discuss appropriate posterior simulation schemes to implement posterior inference in the proposed models, including the evaluation of normalizing constants that are functions of parameters of interest which result from the restrictions on the correlation matrix. We evaluate the operating characteristics of our method via several simulations and in application to real data sets.