In this paper, we propose a Bayesian framework for estimating finite mixtures of the LISREL model. The basic idea in our analysis is to augment the observed data of the manifest variables with the latent variables and the allocation variables. The Gibbs sampler is implemented to obtain the Bayesian solution. Other associated statistical inferences, such as the direct estimation of the latent variables, establishment of a goodness-of-fit assessment for a posited model, Bayesian classification, residual and outlier analyses, are discussed. The methodology is illustrated with a simulation study and a real example.

We consider a strong Markov process with killing and prove an approximation method forthe distribution of the process conditioned not to be killed when it is observed. Themethod is based on a Fleming−Viot type particle system with rebirths, whose particles evolve asindependent copies of the original strong Markov process and jump onto each others insteadof being killed. Our only assumption is that the number of rebirths of theFleming−Viot type systemdoesn’t explode in finite time almost surely and that the survival probability of theoriginal process remains positive in finite time. The approximation method generalizesprevious results and comes with a speed of convergence. A criterion for the non-explosionof the number of rebirths is also provided for general systems of time and environmentdependent diffusion particles. This includes, but is not limited to, the case of theFleming−Viot type system ofthe approximation method. The proof of the non-explosion criterion uses an originalnon-attainability of (0,0)result for pair of non-negative semi-martingales with positive jumps.

In this paper we extend the class of zero-order threshold autoregressive models to a much richer class of mixture models. The new class has the important property of duality which, as we show, corresponds to time reversal. We are then able to obtain the time reversals of the zero-order threshold models and to characterise the time-reversible members of this subclass. These turn out to be quite trivial. The time-reversible models of the more general class do not suffer in this way. The complete stationary distributional structure is given, as are various moments, in particular the autocovariance function. This is shown to be of ARMA type. Finally we give two examples, the second of which extends from the finite to the countable mixture case. The general theory for this extension will be given elsewhere.

The Hammersley–Clifford theorem gives the form that the joint probability density (or mass) function of a Markov random field must take. Its exponent must be a sum of functions of variables, where each function in the summand involves only those variables whose sites form a clique. From a statistical modeling point of view, it is important to establish the converse result, namely, to give the conditional probability specifications that yield a Markov random field. Besag (1974) addressed this question by developing a one-parameter exponential family of conditional probability models. In this article, we develop new models for Markov random fields by establishing sufficient conditions for the conditional probability specifications to yield a Markov random field.