An Overview of Semiparametric Extensions of Finite Mixture Models

Abstract

Finite mixture models have been a very important tool for exploring complex data structures in many scientific areas, for example, economics, epidemiology, finance. In the past decade, semiparametric techniques have been popularly introduced into traditional finite mixture models, and so semiparametric mixture models have experienced exciting development in methodologies, theories and applications. In this article, we provide a selective overview of newly-developed semiparametric mixture models, discuss their estimation methodologies, theoretical properties if applied, and some open questions. Recent developments and some open questions are also discussed.