An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model

Background: With COVID-19 having a significant impact on economic activity, it has become difficult for the existing dynamic factor models (nowcasting models) to forecast macroeconomics with high accuracy. The real-time monitoring of macroeconomics has become an important research problem faced by b...

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Main Authors: Qian Wei, Heng-Guo Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Mathematics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1891
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author Qian Wei
Heng-Guo Zhang
author_facet Qian Wei
Heng-Guo Zhang
author_sort Qian Wei
collection DOAJ
description Background: With COVID-19 having a significant impact on economic activity, it has become difficult for the existing dynamic factor models (nowcasting models) to forecast macroeconomics with high accuracy. The real-time monitoring of macroeconomics has become an important research problem faced by banks, governments, and corporations. Subjects and Methods: This paper proposes an adaptive evolutionary causal dynamic factor model (AcNowcasting) for macroeconomic forecasting. Unlike the classical nowcasting models, the AcNowcasting algorithm has the ability to perform feature selection. The criteria for feature selection are based on causality strength rather than being based on the quality of the prediction results. In addition, the factors in the AcNowcasting algorithm have the capacity for adaptive differential evolution, which can generate the best factors. These two abilities are not possessed by classical nowcasting models. Results: The experimental results show that the AcNowcasting algorithm can extract common factors that reflect macroeconomic fluctuations better, and the prediction accuracy of the AcNowcasting algorithm is more accurate than that of traditional nowcasting models. Contributions: The AcNowcasting algorithm provides a new prediction theory and a means for the real-time monitoring of macroeconomics, which has good theoretical and practical value.
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spelling doaj-art-08fedbfbac8e42be8e07425947a9d9162025-08-20T02:23:04ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902025-06-011311189110.3390/math13111891An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor ModelQian Wei0Heng-Guo Zhang1Center For Economic Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, ChinaCenter For Economic Research, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, ChinaBackground: With COVID-19 having a significant impact on economic activity, it has become difficult for the existing dynamic factor models (nowcasting models) to forecast macroeconomics with high accuracy. The real-time monitoring of macroeconomics has become an important research problem faced by banks, governments, and corporations. Subjects and Methods: This paper proposes an adaptive evolutionary causal dynamic factor model (AcNowcasting) for macroeconomic forecasting. Unlike the classical nowcasting models, the AcNowcasting algorithm has the ability to perform feature selection. The criteria for feature selection are based on causality strength rather than being based on the quality of the prediction results. In addition, the factors in the AcNowcasting algorithm have the capacity for adaptive differential evolution, which can generate the best factors. These two abilities are not possessed by classical nowcasting models. Results: The experimental results show that the AcNowcasting algorithm can extract common factors that reflect macroeconomic fluctuations better, and the prediction accuracy of the AcNowcasting algorithm is more accurate than that of traditional nowcasting models. Contributions: The AcNowcasting algorithm provides a new prediction theory and a means for the real-time monitoring of macroeconomics, which has good theoretical and practical value.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1891Fourier domain transfer entropymixed-frequency dynamic factor modeladaptive differential evolutionnowcasting model
spellingShingle Qian Wei
Heng-Guo Zhang
An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model
Mathematics
Fourier domain transfer entropy
mixed-frequency dynamic factor model
adaptive differential evolution
nowcasting model
title An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model
title_full An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model
title_fullStr An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model
title_full_unstemmed An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model
title_short An Adaptive Evolutionary Causal Dynamic Factor Model
title_sort adaptive evolutionary causal dynamic factor model
topic Fourier domain transfer entropy
mixed-frequency dynamic factor model
adaptive differential evolution
nowcasting model
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1891
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AT qianwei adaptiveevolutionarycausaldynamicfactormodel
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