title: Computing an NPMLE for a mixing distribution in two closed heterogeneous population size models.
abstract: Binomial and geometric mixtures can be used to model data gathered in capture-recapture surveys of animal populations, removal surveys of harvest populations, registrations of disease populations, ecological species census, and so on. To compute a nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator for the mixing distribution of heterogeneous capture probabilities, we consider a conditional approach and use a reliable and fast integrative procedure which combines the EM algorithm to increase the likelihood and the vertex-exchange method to update the number of support points. A convergent Newtonian algorithm is used in the M-step of the EM algorithm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. cmao@stat.ucr.edu
authors.forename: Chang Xuan
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Mao
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000254:growth & development; D001492:Bass / Q000254:growth & development; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds / Q000254:growth & development; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011156:Population Density