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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1977 Feb;74(2):434–436. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.2.434

Robust nonlinear data smoothers: Definitions and recommendations

Paul F Velleman 1,*
PMCID: PMC392303  PMID: 16592388

Abstract

Nonlinear data smoothers provide a practical method of finding smooth traces for data confounded with possibly long-tailed or occasionally “spikey” noise. While they are natural tools for analyzing time-series data, they can be applied to any data set for which a sequencing order can be established. Their resistance to the effects of unsupported extreme observations and their ability to respond rapidly to well-supported patterns make them valuable as tools for finding patterns not constrained to specific parametric form and as versatile data-cleaning algorithms. This paper defines some robust nonlinear smoothers that have performed well in Monte-Carlo trials and makes brief recommendations based upon that study.

Keywords: Monte-Carlo trials, time-series data, data noise reduction, nonlinear filters, exploratory data analysis

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