When analyzing business cycle data, one observes that the relevant predictor variables are often highly correlated. This paper presents a method to obtain measures of importance for the classification of data in which such multicollinearity is present. In systems with highly correlated variables...

We investigate the combination of the dimension reduction methods SIR (Li, 1991) and DAME (Gather et al., 2001) with fuzzy-clustering to validate a given classification. We consider certain economic variables which are assumed to contain the information relevant to determine the current phase of...

This paper develops a statistical model for measuring spatial interactions when estimating macroeconomic regimes and regime shifts. The model is applied to study the contagion and propagation of recessions in small regional economies in the United States from 1990 to 2015. The empirical analysis...

We propose a computer intensive method for linear dimension reduction which minimizes the classification error directly. Simulated annealing (Bohachevsky et al 1986) as a modern optimization technique is used to solve this problem effectively. This approach easily allows to incorporate user...

Activity in the mining industry is based on the profitability principle similar to other business sectors. In the case of stone pits, gravel and sand quarries, it presents a very complex task, mainly due to the fact that the economy of localities is influenced greatly by natural conditions,...