# Large Covariance Estimation through Elliptical Factor Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1507.08377 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1507.08377/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 30 Jul 2015.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Deconfounded Score Method: Scoring DAGs with Dense Unobserved Confounding](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.15106/) (2021)
- [Deep Risk Model: A Deep Learning Solution for Mining Latent Risk Factors to Improve Covariance Matrix Estimation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.05201/) (2021)
- [Factor-Augmented Regularized Model for Hazard Regression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.01067/) (2022)
- [Inferential Theory for Granular Instrumental Variables in High Dimensions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.06605/) (2022)
- [A Bayesian sparse factor model with adaptive posterior concentration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.18488/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We proposed a general Principal Orthogonal complEment Thresholding (POET) framework for large-scale covariance matrix estimation based on an approximate factor model. A set of high level sufficient conditions for the procedure to achieve optimal rates of convergence under different matrix norms were brought up to better understand how POET works. Such a framework allows us to recover the results for sub-Gaussian in a more transparent way that only depends on the concentration properties of the sample covariance matrix. As a new theoretical contribution, for the first time, such a framework allows us to exploit conditional sparsity covariance structure for the heavy-tailed data. In particular, for the elliptical data, we proposed a robust estimator based on marginal and multivariate Kendall's tau to satisfy these conditions. In addition, conditional graphical model was also studied under the same framework. The technical tools developed in this paper are of general interest to high dimensional principal component analysis. Thorough numerical results were also provided to back up the developed theory.