ex-1: generalise numeric_mode to take any pdf

ex-1/landau.c

@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 #include <gsl/gsl_integration.h>
 
 
-/* This is a wrapper needed by `landau_cdf` because
- * the numerical integration expects a function
- * with parameters.
+/* This is a wrapper needed by `landau_cdf` and
+ * other optimisation functions because the GSL
+ * routines expect a function with parameters.
  */
 double landau_pdf(double x, void* params) {
   return gsl_ran_landau_pdf(x);

ex-1/landau.h

@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-/* This is a wrapper needed by `landau_cdf` because
- * the numerical integration expects a function
- * with parameters.
+/* This is a wrapper needed by `landau_cdf` and
+ * other optimisation functions because the GSL
+ * routines expect a function with parameters.
  */
 double landau_pdf(double x, void* params);
 

ex-1/main.c

@@ -77,9 +77,18 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
   fprintf(stderr, "\n\n# Mode comparison\n");
 
-  // print the results
-  double mode_e = numeric_mode(min, max);
+  /* A structure used by the optimisation
+   * routines in numeric_mode and others
+   * functions below.
+   */
+  gsl_function pdf;
+  pdf.function = &landau_pdf;
+  pdf.params = NULL;
+
+  double mode_e = numeric_mode(min, max, &pdf);
   uncert mode_o = bootstrap_mode(r, sample, samples, 100);
+
+  // print the results
   fprintf(stderr, "\n## Results\n");
   fprintf(stderr, "expected mode: %.7f\n", mode_e);
   fprintf(stderr, "observed mode: %.4f±%.4f\n", mode_o.n, mode_o.s);

ex-1/tests.c

@@ -45,12 +45,29 @@ double kolmogorov_cdf(double D, int n) {
 }
 
 
-/* This is a wrapper needed by `numeric_mode` because
- * the minimization expects a function to be minimized and not
- * maximized.
+
+/* This is a high-order function (ie a function that operates
+ * on functions) in disguise. It takes a function f and produces
+ * a function that computes -f. In lambda calculus it would be
+ * the map λf.λx -f(x).
+ *
+ * Since there is no notion of lambda functions in C (the
+ * standard one, at least) we use a trick involving the
+ * gsl_function struct: `negate_func(x, fp)` takes a point `x`
+ * and a gsl_function `fp` as the usual void pointer `params`.
+ * It then calls the function `fp.function` with `x` and their
+ * `fp.params` and return the negated result.
+ *
+ * So, given a `gsl_function f` its negated function is
+ * contructed as follows:
+ *
+ *    gsl_function nf;
+ *    nf.function = &negate_func;
+ *    nf.params = &f;
  */
-double neg_landau_pdf(double x, void* params) {
-  return (-1) * gsl_ran_landau_pdf(x);
+double negate_func(double x, void * fp) {
+  gsl_function f = *((gsl_function*) fp);
+  return -f.function(x, f.params);
 }
 
 
@@ -59,11 +76,16 @@ double neg_landau_pdf(double x, void* params) {
  * The min,max parameters are the initial search
  * interval for the optimisation.
  */
-double numeric_mode(double min, double max) {
-  // create function
-  gsl_function pdf;
-  pdf.function = &neg_landau_pdf;
-  pdf.params   = NULL;
+double numeric_mode(double min, double max,
+                    gsl_function *pdf) {
+
+  /* Negate the PDF to maximise it by
+   * using a GSL minimisation method.
+   * (There usually are no maximisation methods)
+   */
+  gsl_function npdf;
+  npdf.function = &negate_func;
+  npdf.params   = pdf;
 
   // initialize minimization
   double guess = 0;
@@ -71,11 +93,11 @@ double numeric_mode(double min, double max) {
   int    max_iter = 100;
   double prec = 1e-7;
   int    status;
-  const gsl_min_fminimizer_type * T = gsl_min_fminimizer_goldensection;
+  const gsl_min_fminimizer_type * T = gsl_min_fminimizer_brent;
   gsl_min_fminimizer * s = gsl_min_fminimizer_alloc(T);
-  gsl_min_fminimizer_set(s, &pdf, guess, min, max);
+  gsl_min_fminimizer_set(s, &npdf, guess, min, max);
 
-  // minimization
+  // minimisation
   do {
       iter++;
       status = gsl_min_fminimizer_iterate(s);
@@ -86,9 +108,12 @@ double numeric_mode(double min, double max) {
 
   } while (status == GSL_CONTINUE && iter < max_iter);
 
+  /* The error is simply given by the width of
+   * the final interval containing the solution
+   */
   fprintf(stderr, "mode error: %.3g\n", max - min);
 
-  // Free memory
+  // free memory
   gsl_min_fminimizer_free(s);
   return guess;
 }

ex-1/tests.h

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  * from a Landau distribution.
  */
 
+#include <gsl/gsl_roots.h>
+
 #pragma once
 
 /* Kolmogorov distribution CDF
@@ -16,7 +18,8 @@ double kolmogorov_cdf(double D, int n);
  * The min,max parameters are the initial search
  * interval for the optimisation.
  */
-double numeric_mode(double min, double max);
+double numeric_mode(double min, double max,
+                    gsl_function *pdf);
 
 
 /* Numerically computes the FWHM of Landau