Random Variables with Completely Independent Subcollections

Abstract

We investigate the algebra and geometry of the independence conditions on discrete random variables in which we fix some random variables and study the complete independence of some subcollections. We interpret such independence conditions on the random variables as an ideal of algebraic relations. After a change of variables, this ideal is generated by generalized 2x2 minors of multi-way tables and linear forms. In particular, let Delta be a simplicial complex on some random variables and A be the table corresponding to the product of those random variables. If A is Delta-independent table then A can be written as the entrywise sum B+C where B is a completely independent table and C is identically 0 in its Delta-margins. We compute the isolated components of the original ideal, showing that there is only one component that could correspond to probability distributions, and relate the algebra and geometry of the main component to that of the Segre embedding. If Delta has fewer than three facets, we are able to compute generators for the main component, show that it is Cohen--Macaulay, and give a full primary decomposition of the original ideal.