Different coefficients for studying dependence

Abstract

Through computer simulations, we research several different measures of dependence, including Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients, the maximal correlation, the distance correlation, a function of the mutual information called the information coefficient of correlation, and the maximal information coefficient (MIC). We compare how well these coefficients fulfill the criteria of generality, power, and equitability. Furthermore, we consider how the exact type of dependence, the amount of noise and the number of observations affect their performance.