The DO Loop
Statistical programming in SAS with an emphasis on SAS/IML programs
This article shows how to compute properties of a discrete probability distribution from basic definitions. You can use the definitions to compute the mean, variance, and median of a discrete probability distribution when there is no simple formula for those quantities. This article is motivated by two computational questions about
Statistical programmers need to access numerical constants that help us to write robust and accurate programs. Specifically, it is necessary to know when it is safe to perform numerical operations such as raising a number to a power without exceeding the largest number that is representable in finite-precision arithmetic. This
A previous article showed how to use SAS to compute finite-difference derivatives of smooth vector-valued multivariate functions. The article uses the NLPFDD subroutine in SAS/IML to compute the finite-difference derivatives. The article states that the third output argument of the NLPFDD subroutine "contains the matrix product J`*J, where J is
On this Pi Day, let's explore the "πth roots of unity." (Pi Day is celebrated in the US on 3/14 to celebrate π ≈ 3.14159....) It's okay if you've never heard of the πth roots of unity. This article starts by reviewing the better-known nth roots of unity. It then
Did you know that you can use π to partition the positive integers into two disjoint groups? It's not hard. One group is generated by the integer portions of multiples of π. The FLOOR function gives the integer portion of a positive number, so you can write integer that are
I previously showed how to use SAS to compute finite-difference derivatives for smooth scalar-valued functions of several variables. You can use the NLPFDD subroutine in SAS/IML software to approximate the gradient vector (first derivatives) and the Hessian matrix (second derivatives). The computation uses finite-difference derivatives to approximate the derivatives. The
