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Virginia Tech

Efficient computer experiment designs for Gaussian process surrogates

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Due to advancements in supercomputing and algorithms for finite element analysis, today's computer simulation models often contain complex calculations that can result in a wealth of knowledge. Gaussian processes (GPs) are highly desirable models for computer experiments for their predictive accuracy and uncertainty quantification. This dissertation addresses GP modeling when data abounds as well as GP adaptive design when simulator expense severely limits the amount of collected data. For data-rich problems, I introduce a localized sparse covariance GP that preserves the flexibility and predictive accuracy of a GP's predictive surface while saving computational time. This locally induced Gaussian process (LIGP) incorporates latent design points, inducing points, with a local Gaussian process built from a subset of the data. Various methods are introduced for the design of the inducing points. LIGP is then extended to adapt to stochastic data with replicates, estimating noise while relying upon the unique design locations for computation. I also address the goal of identifying a contour when data collection resources are limited through entropy-based adaptive design. Unlike existing methods, the entropy-based contour locator (ECL) adaptive design promotes exploration in the design space, performing well in higher dimensions and when the contour corresponds to a high/low quantile. ECL adaptive design can join with importance sampling for the purpose of reducing uncertainty in reliability estimation.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Statistics
Department dc:contributor.department
Statistics
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2021

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Cole, David Austin
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Gramacy, Robert B.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Deng, Xinwei
  • House, Leanna L.
  • Higdon, David

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:31783
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/112960

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Cole, David Austin. Efficient computer experiment designs for Gaussian process surrogates. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/112960