Statistically inferred time warping: extending the cyclostationarity paradigm from regular to irregular statistical cyclicity in scientific data

Abstract

Abstract: Statistically inferred time-warping functions are proposed for transforming data exhibiting irregular statistical cyclicity (ISC) into data exhibiting regular statistical cyclicity (RSC). This type of transformation enables the application of the theory of cyclostationarity (CS) and polyCS to be extended from data with RSC to data with ISC. The non-extended theory, introduced only a few decades ago, has led to the development of numerous data processing techniques/algorithms for statistical inference that outperform predecessors that are based on the theory of stationarity. So, the proposed extension to ISC data is expected to greatly broaden the already diverse applications of this theory and methodology to measurements/observations of RSC data throughout many fields of engineering and science. This extends the CS paradigm to data with inherent ISC, due to biological and other natural origins of irregular cyclicity. It also extends this paradigm to data with inherent regular cyclicity that has been rendered irregular by time warping due, for example, to sensor motion or other dynamics affecting the data. Graphical abstract: ᅟ[Figure not available: see fulltext.].