14 Stationarity of AR&MA Models

We review and explore stationarity of different models.

1 MA(q)

yt=μ+εt+θ1εt−1+⋯+θqεt−q,εt∼i.i.dN(0,σ2).

2 AR(p)

(2.1)yt−ϕ1yt−1−⋯−ϕpyt−p=ϕ0+εt.

Now we discuss its stationarity.

2.1 p=1

Now yt−ϕ1yt−1=ϕ0+εt.

  1. |ϕ1|<1: (2.2)yt=ϕ01−ϕ1+∑j=0∞ϕ1jεt−j. This is well-defined because |ϕ1|<1. εt is independent of yt−1,yt−2,⋯. We refer this to causal stationary AR(1).
  2. |ϕ1|>1: (2.3)yt=ϕ01−ϕ1−∑j=0∞εt+jϕ1j. Now εt is not independent of yt−1,yt−2,⋯, but independent of yt+1,yt+2,⋯. Refer this to non-causal stationary AR(1).
  3. |ϕ1|=1: if ϕ1=1, yt−yt−1=ϕ0+εt, this means yt−yt−1 is Gaussian white noise. When ϕ0=0, this is Random Walk model. There is no stationary solution.

Now we use backshift notation to derive (2.2) and (2.3): Bkyt=yt−k,B0=1. So AR(1) becomes ϕ(B)yt=ϕ0+εt, where ϕ(z)=1−ϕ1z,ϕ(B)=1−ϕ1B. So yt=1ϕ(B)(ϕ0+εt), and note that 1ϕ(B)=11−ϕ1B=∑j=0∞ϕ1jBj, so yt=∑j=0∞ϕ1jBj(ϕ0)+∑j=0∞ϕ1jBj(εt)=∑j=0∞ϕ1j+∑j=0∞ϕ1jεt−j. This only makes sense when |ϕ1|<1, so yt=ϕ01−ϕ1+∑j=0∞ϕ1jεt−j, this gives us (2.2).

And when |ϕ1|>1, note that 11−r=−1r11−(1/r)=−1r(1+1r+1r2+⋯)=−∑j=1∞r−j.
So 1ϕ(B)=−∑j=1∞B−jϕ1j, and 1ϕ(B)(ϕ0+εt)=−ϕ0∑j=1∞1ϕ1j−∑j=1∞B−jεtϕ1j=ϕ01−ϕ1−∑j=1∞εt+jϕ1j which is (2.3).

1ϕ(B)(ϕ0+εt)=−ϕ0∑j=1∞1ϕ1j−∑j=1∞B−jεtϕ1j=ϕ01−ϕ1

To recap, (2.4)11−ϕ1B=∑j=0∞ϕ1jBj,11−ϕ1B=−∑j=1∞B−jϕ1j.

2.2 p≥1

Still use backshift notation: ϕ(B)yt=ϕ0+εt,ϕ(B)=1−ϕ1B−⋯−ϕpBp. To use (2.4), we need to factorize the polynomial ϕ(z)=1−ϕ1z−⋯−ϕpzp=(1−a1z)⋯(1−apz), so ϕ(B)=(1−a1B)⋯(1−apB).
We then get yt=1(1−a1B)⋯(1−apB)(ϕ0+εt)=∏k=1p11−akB(ϕ0+εt)=∏k:|ak|<1(∑j=0∞akjBj)∏k:|ak|>1(∑j=1∞B−jakj)(ϕ0+εt).

  1. If every k, |ak|<1, then yt=∏k(∑j=0∞akjBj)(ϕ0+εt)=(∑j1=0∞⋯∑jp=0∞a1j1⋯apjpBj1+⋯+jp)(ϕ0+εt)=ϕ0∑j1=0∞⋯∑jp=0∞a1j1⋯apjp+∑j1=0∞⋯∑jp=0∞a1j1⋯apjpεt−j1−⋯−jp.
    This is a causal stationary solution. By collecting j1+⋯+jp=j for j=0,1,⋯, yt=μ+∑j=0∞ψjεt−j.
  2. If every k, |ak|>1, similarly yt=μ+∑j=−∞∞ψjεt−j.
  3. If every k, |ak|=1, there is no stationary solution.
Summary:

  • If |ak|≠1 for every k, there exists a unique stationary solution to (2.1).
  • If |ak|<1 for every k, the solution is causal.
  • If |ak|<1 for some k and |ak|>1 for other k, the solution is non-causal.

2.3 The Box-Jenkins Modeling Philosophy

3 ARMA(p, q) Models

Combine AR and MA models: (3.1)(yt−μ)−ϕ1(yt−1−μ)−⋯−ϕp(yt−p−μ)=εt+θ1εt−1+⋯+θqεt−q.

When p=0, this is MA(q); when q=0, this is AR(p).

As usual εt∼i.i.dN(0,σ2). The parameters here are μ,ϕ1,⋯,ϕp,θ1,⋯,θq,σ. In backshift notation: ϕ(B)(yt−μ)=θ(B)εt, where ϕ(z)=1−ϕ1z−⋯−ϕpzp,θ(z)=1+θ1z+⋯+θqzq.

It can be shown that: if ϕ(z) has all roots with modulus strictly larger than 1, then ARMA(p,q) has a stationary causal solution: yt=μ+ψ0εt+ψ1εt−1+⋯
Denote ψ(z)=ψ0+ψ1z+ψ2z2+⋯, we can get coefficients by ψ(z)=θ(z)/ϕ(z), i.e. θ(z)=1+θ1z+⋯+θqzq=ϕ(z)ψ(z)=(1−ϕ1z−⋯−ϕpzp)(ψ0+ψ1z+ψ2z2+⋯), and then comparing coefficients of zj on both sides: 1=ψ0,θ1=ψ1−ψ0ϕ1,θ2=ψ2−ψ1ϕ1−ψ0ϕ2,⋯
ARMA(p,q) generalizes both AR(p) and MA(q) models. When p=q=0, we obtain the white noise model. When p=0, we get MA(q); when q=0, we get AR(p).
For ARMA, ACF and PACF are more complicated. Neither ACF nor PACF cuts off after a certain lag, if both p,q≥1.