How do we reconcile the issue of having a deterministic estimation with the problem of local peaks? I thought one of the advantages of having a non-deterministic estimation routine is that we can run it several times and store the results for the best run. Suppose I run the same estimation several times and get the same answer (because the problem is deterministic). Does that mean I found the global peak? I guess you guys have it all sorted out in some way.

On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 6:00 PM, Trac Dynare <root@dynare.org> wrote:
#85: Estimation is not deterministic: a seed should be explictly given to random
number generator
---------------------------+------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  sebastien     |       Owner:  stepan
     Type:  enhancement   |      Status:  accepted
 Priority:  major         |   Milestone:  4.2
 Component:  Core M-files  |     Version:  4.1.0
Resolution:                |    Keywords:
---------------------------+------------------------------------------------
Changes (by stepan):

 * owner:  michel => stepan


Comment:

 I added a new routine (set_dynare_seed.m) in commit
 db54c2d76ec8ac6a42c0cbf99bc394f7644f2a85 and a test (example) file in
 commit 032957b36f2e1129ce3809f02dc2bf9e5e2d65f6. This routine is called in
 global_initialization. I removed the seed commands in simult.m and the
 option dynare_seed, so that the simulated time series are invariant across
 different instances of dynare.

 I still need to adapt the mcmc routines

 Maybe we should also adapt the swz routines.

--
Ticket URL: <https://www.dynare.org/trac/ticket/85#comment:4>
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"You can never know everything", Lan said quietly, "and part of what you know is always wrong. Perhaps even the most important part. A portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. A portion of courage lies in going on anyway." Robert Jordan, Winter's Heart, Book IX of the Wheel of Time.

We have not succeeded in answering all of our problems. The answers we have found only serve to raise a whole set of new issues. In some ways we are as confused as ever, but we believe we are confused on a higher level and about more important things. (cited in Øksendal, 1985)