Striated Metropolis-Hastings sampler for high-dimensional models

Having efficient and accurate samplers for simulating the posterior distribution is crucial for Bayesian analysis. We develop a generic posterior simulator called the “dynamic striated Metropolis-Hastings (DSMH)” sampler. Grounded in the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, it pools the strengths from the equi-energy and sequential Monte Carlo samplers while avoiding the weaknesses of the standard Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and those of importance sampling. In particular, the DSMH sampler possesses the capacity to cope with extremely irregular distributions that contain winding ridges and multiple peaks; and it is robust to how the sampling procedure progresses across stages. The high-dimensional application studied in this paper provides a natural platform for testing any generic sampler.