Incremental Tree-Based Missing Data Imputation with Lexicographic Ordering

• DOI: 10.1007/s00357-009-9038-8
• Publication Date: 2010-01-06T13:09:51Z
• Authors: Claudio Conversano; Roberta Siciliano
• Keywords: Missing Data; Classification and Regression Tree; FAST splitting algorithm; 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; 02 engineering and technology; 0101 mathematics; 01 natural sciences

In the framework of incomplete data analysis, this paper provides a nonparametric approach to missing data imputation based on Information Retrieval. In particular, an incremental procedure based on the iterative use of tree-based method is proposed and a suitable Incremental Imputation Algorithm is introduced. The key idea is to define a lexicographic ordering of cases and variables so that conditional mean imputation via binary trees can be performed incrementally. A simulation study and real data applications are carried out to describe the advantages and the performance with respect to standard approaches.