ssm
Create standard linear Gaussian state-space model
Description
The ssm
function returns an
ssm
object specifying the functional form and storing the parameter
values of a standard linear Gaussian state-space model for a latent
state process xt possibly imperfectly observed
through the variable yt. The variables
xt and
yt can be univariate or multivariate and the model
parameters can be time-invariant or time-varying.
The key components of an ssm
object are the state-transition
A, state-disturbance-loading B,
measurement-sensitivity C, and observation-innovation D
coefficient matrices because they completely specify the model structure. You can explicitly
specify each matrix or supply a custom function that implicitly specifies them. Regardless,
given the model structure, all coefficients are unknown and estimable unless you specify their
values.
To estimate a model containing unknown parameter values, pass the model and data to
estimate
. To work with an estimated or fully specified
ssm
object, pass it to an object function.
Alternative state-space models include:
Creation
Syntax
Description
Explicitly Specify Coefficient Matrices
returns the standard linear Gaussian state-space model
Mdl
= ssm(A
,B
,C
)Mdl
with state-transition matrix A
,
state-disturbance-loading matrix B
, and measurement-sensitivity
matrix C
. At each time t, the state combination
yt =
C
xt is observed without
error. ssm
sets the model properties
A
, B
, and C
from the
corresponding inputs.
additionally specifies the observation-innovation matrix Mdl
= ssm(A
,B
,C
,D
)D
and sets
the property D
.
sets properties that describe the initial state distribution using name-value arguments,
and using any input-argument combination in the previous syntaxes. For example,
Mdl
= ssm(___,Name=Value
)ssm(A,B,C,StateType=[0; 1; 2])
specifies that the first state
variable is initially stationary, the second state variable is initially the constant 1,
and the third state variable is initially nonstationary.
Implicitly Specify Coefficient Matrices By Using Custom Function
returns the state-space model Mdl
= ssm(ParamMap
)Mdl
whose structure is specified by
the custom parameter-to-matrix mapping function ParamMap
. The
function maps a parameter vector θ to the matrices
A
, B
, and C
.
Optionally, ParamMap
can map parameters to D
,
Mean0
, Cov0
, or
StateType
. To accommodate a regression component in the
observation equation, ParamMap
can return deflated observation
data.
Convert from Diffuse to Standard State-Space Model
converts a diffuse state-space model object Mdl
= ssm(DSSMMdl
)DSSMMdl
to a state-space
model object Mdl
. ssm
sets all initial variances
of diffuse states in Mdl.Cov0
to 1e07
.
Because Mdl
is a standard state-space model,
ssm
object functions apply the standard Kalman filter,
instead of the diffuse Kalman filter, for filtering, smoothing, and parameter
estimation.
Input Arguments
Properties
Object Functions
Examples
More About
Tips
Specify ParamMap
in a more general or complex setting, where, for example:
The initial state values are parameters.
In time-varying models, you want to use the same parameters for more than one period.
You want to impose parameter constraints.
Algorithms
Default values for
Mean0
andCov0
:If you explicitly specify the state-space model (that is, you provide the coefficient matrices
A
,B
,C
, and optionallyD
), then:For stationary states, the software generates the initial value using the stationary distribution. If you provide all values in the coefficient matrices (that is, your model has no unknown parameters), then
ssm
generates the initial values. Otherwise, the software generates the initial values during estimation.For states that are always the constant 1,
ssm
setsMean0
to 1 andCov0
to0
.For diffuse states, the software sets
Mean0
to 0 andCov0
to1e7
by default.
If you implicitly create the state-space model (that is, you provide the parameter vector to the coefficient-matrices-mapping function
ParamMap
), then the software generates any initial values during estimation.For nonstationary states,
ssm
setsCov0
to1e7
by default. Subsequently, the software implements the Kalman filter for filtering, smoothing, and parameter estimation. This specification imposes relatively weak knowledge on the initial state values of diffuse states, and uses initial state covariance terms between all states.
For static states that do not equal 1 throughout the sample, the software cannot assign a value to the degenerate, initial state distribution. Therefore, set static states to
2
using the propertyStateType
. Subsequently, the software treats static states as nonstationary and assigns the static state a diffuse initial distribution.It is best practice to set
StateType
for each state. By default, the software generatesStateType
, but this behavior might not be accurate. For example, the software cannot distinguish between a constant 1 state and a static state.The software cannot infer
StateType
from data because the data theoretically comes from the observation equation. The realizations of the state equation are unobservable.ssm
models do not store observed responses or predictor data. Supply the data wherever necessary using the appropriate inputs.Suppose that you want to create a state-space model using a parameter-to-matrix mapping function with this signature:
and you specify the model using an anonymous function[A,B,C,D,Mean0,Cov0,StateType,DeflateY] = paramMap(params,Y,Z)
The observed responsesMdl = ssm(@(params)paramMap(params,Y,Z))
Y
and predictor dataZ
are not input arguments in the anonymous function. IfY
andZ
exist in the MATLAB Workspace before you createMdl
, then the software establishes a link to them. Otherwise, if you passMdl
toestimate
, the software throws an error.The link to the data established by the anonymous function overrides all other corresponding input argument values of
estimate
. This distinction is important particularly when conducting a rolling window analysis. For details, see Rolling-Window Analysis of Time-Series Models.
Alternatives
If the states are observable, and the state equation resembles any of the following models, use the associated function instead.
To impose no prior knowledge on the initial state values of diffuse states, and to implement the diffuse Kalman filter, create a
dssm
model object instead of anssm
model object.For a Bayesian view of a standard state-space model, use
bssm
.
References
Version History
Introduced in R2014a