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On the Distributed Estimation for Scalar-on-Function Regression Models

Published: January 7, 2026 | arXiv ID: 2601.04138v1

By: Peilun He, Han Lin Shang, Nan Zou

Potential Business Impact:

Helps computers analyze big data faster.

Business Areas:
Simulation Software

This paper proposes distributed estimation procedures for three scalar-on-function regression models: the functional linear model (FLM), the functional non-parametric model (FNPM), and the functional partial linear model (FPLM). The framework addresses two key challenges in functional data analysis, namely the high computational cost of large samples and limitations on sharing raw data across institutions. Monte Carlo simulations show that the distributed estimators substantially reduce computation time while preserving high estimation and prediction accuracy for all three models. When block sizes become too small, the FPLM exhibits overfitting, leading to narrower prediction intervals and reduced empirical coverage probability. An example of an empirical study using the \textit{tecator} dataset further supports these findings.

Page Count
33 pages

Category
Statistics:
Computation