Abstract
Separability of the covariance structure is a common assumption for function-valued processes defined on two- or higher-dimensional domains. This assumption is often made to obtain an interpretable model or due to difficulties in modelling a potentially complex covariance structure, especially in the case of sparse designs. We proposed to use Gaussian processes with flexible parametric covariance kernels which allow interactions between the inputs in the covariance structure. When we use suitable covariance kernels, the leading eigen-surfaces of the covariance operator can explain well the main modes of variation in the functional data, including the interactions between the inputs. The results are demonstrated by simulation studies and by applications to real world data.
Poster
