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Glen_b
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Generally speaking the formula you wish to be true is not true.

In a simpler version, you're asking: $\text{Is }P(A|B,C) = P(A|B).P(B|C)\text{?}$

It's not generally so, not even for Gaussian variables.

You might be thinking of:

$p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = \\ \, p(x_n | x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3}, ... , x_1)...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1) $

  • which is true.

You might even be thinking of the Markov property: $p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = p(x_n | x_{n-1}).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3})...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1)$, where each conditional can be replaced with conditioning on the previous value alone - which is sometimes true.

However, your actual problem sounds closer to a regression-updating problem.


Followup: when does the Markov property hold?

It will hold when the first equation is the same thing as the second equation.

i.e. when

$p(x_t | x_{t-1}, x_{t-2}, ... , x_1)= p(x_t | x_{t-1})$ at each value of $t$.

That is, when the distribution at time $t$ only depends on the value at time $t-1$.

With Gaussian distributions, and models that can be written in state space form, it's common to use one of the forms of the Kalman filter for this situation.

Generally speaking the formula you wish to be true is not true.

In a simpler version, you're asking: $\text{Is }P(A|B,C) = P(A|B).P(B|C)\text{?}$

It's not generally so, not even for Gaussian variables.

You might be thinking of:

$p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = \\ \, p(x_n | x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3}, ... , x_1)...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1) $

  • which is true.

You might even be thinking of the Markov property: $p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = p(x_n | x_{n-1}).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3})...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1)$, where each conditional can be replaced with conditioning on the previous value alone - which is sometimes true.

However, your actual problem sounds closer to a regression-updating problem.

Generally speaking the formula you wish to be true is not true.

In a simpler version, you're asking: $\text{Is }P(A|B,C) = P(A|B).P(B|C)\text{?}$

It's not generally so, not even for Gaussian variables.

You might be thinking of:

$p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = \\ \, p(x_n | x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3}, ... , x_1)...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1) $

  • which is true.

You might even be thinking of the Markov property: $p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = p(x_n | x_{n-1}).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3})...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1)$, where each conditional can be replaced with conditioning on the previous value alone - which is sometimes true.

However, your actual problem sounds closer to a regression-updating problem.


Followup: when does the Markov property hold?

It will hold when the first equation is the same thing as the second equation.

i.e. when

$p(x_t | x_{t-1}, x_{t-2}, ... , x_1)= p(x_t | x_{t-1})$ at each value of $t$.

That is, when the distribution at time $t$ only depends on the value at time $t-1$.

With Gaussian distributions, and models that can be written in state space form, it's common to use one of the forms of the Kalman filter for this situation.

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Glen_b
  • 290.5k
  • 37
  • 652
  • 1.1k

Generally speaking the formula you wish to be true is not true.

In a simpler version, you're asking: $\text{Is }P(A|B,C) = P(A|B).P(B|C)\text{?}$

It's not generally so, not even for Gaussian variables.

You might be thinking of:

$p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = \\ \, p(x_n | x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}, ... , x_1).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3}, ... , x_1)...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1) $

  • which is true.

You might even be thinking of the Markov property: $p(x_n, x_{n-1}, x_{n-2}, ... , x_1) = p(x_n | x_{n-1}).p( x_{n-1}| x_{n-2}).p(x_{n-2}| x_{n-3})...p(x_2|x_1).p(x_1)$, where each conditional can be replaced with conditioning on the previous value alone - which is sometimes true.

However, your actual problem sounds closer to a regression-updating problem.