lgcp: An R Package for Inference with Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Log-Gaussian Cox Processes

Abstract

This paper introduces an R package for spatial and spatio-temporal prediction and forecasting for log-Gaussian Cox processes. The main computational tool for these models is Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and the new package, lgcp, therefore also provides an extensible suite of functions for implementing MCMC algorithms for processes of this type. The modeling framework and details of inferential procedures are first presented before a tour of lgcp functionality is given via a walk-through data-analysis. Topics covered include reading in and converting data, estimation of the key components and parameters of the model, specifying output and simulation quantities, computation of Monte Carlo expectations, post-processing and simulation of data sets.