Variable selection in discriminant analysis for mixed variables and several groups

Abstract

We propose a method for variable selection in discriminant analysis with mixed categorical and continuous variables. This method is based on a criterion that permits to reduce the variable selection problem to a problem of estimating suitable permutation and dimensionality. Then, estimators for these parameters are proposed and the resulting method for selecting variables is shown to be consistent. A simulation study that permits to study several poperties of the proposed approach and to compare it with an existing method is given.