Random variables with completely independent subcollections

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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.


The author investigates ``the algebra and geometry of the independence conditions on discrete random variables. This leads to the study of ``a special case of what are called `independence ideals' in the algebraic statistics. More precisely, he considers the generic \(a_1\times\cdots\times a_n\) table \(A= (x_{i_1\cdots i_n})\) over an arbitrary field \(K\) and a collection \(\Delta\) of subsets of \(\{1,\dots, n\}\). For \(J= \{j_1,\dots, j_m\}\in\Delta\), \(A_J\) is an \(a_{j_1}\times\cdots\times a_{j_m}\) table, the entries of which are certain sums of the variables \(x_{i_1\cdots i_n}\). Let \(I(A_J)\) be the ideal in the polynomial ring \(K[x_{i_1\cdots i_n}\mid 1\leq i_\nu\leq a_\nu]\) generated by the generalized \(2\times 2\)-minors of \(A_J\). (A generalized \(2\times 2\)-minor of a \(b_1\times\cdots\times b_m\) table \(B= (y_{k_1\cdots k_m})\) is a minor of the form \[ \text{det}\left(\begin{matrix} y_{k_1\cdots k_m}\\ y_{k_1\cdots k_{t-1}, l_t, k_{t+1}\cdots k_m}\end{matrix} \begin{matrix} y_{l_1\cdots l_{t-1}, k_t, l_{t+ 1}\cdots l_m}\\ y_{l_1\cdots l_m}\end{matrix}\right), \] \(1\leq k_\mu\), \(l_\mu\leq b_\mu\).) Set \(I_\Delta= I_\Delta(A)= \sum_{J\in\Delta} I(A_J)\). \(A\) is called \(\Delta\)-independent, if \(A\) lies on the variety defined by \(I_\Delta\). The main part of the article is devoted to the primary decomposition of the determinantal ideal \(I_\Delta\). The author shows that there is exactly one minimal prime of \(I_\Delta\) which does not contain the sum of all the variables, and is therefore ``the only minimal prime that corresponds to probability distributions. Furthermore he describes the other minimal primes of \(I_\Delta\). In case \(\Delta\) is a simplicial complex with at most three facets, he proves that \(I_\Delta\) is a radical ideal. An example is given which shows that, in general, \(I_\Delta\) fails to be radical.





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