R-estimation in linear models: algorithms, complexity, challenges

The main objective of this paper is to discuss selected computational aspects of robust estimation in the linear model with the emphasis on R-estimators. We focus on numerical algorithms and computational efficiency rather than on statistical properties. In addition, we formulate some algorithmic properties that a “good” method for R-estimators is expected to satisfy and show how to satisfy them using the currently available algorithms. We illustrate both good and bad properties of the existing algorithms. We propose two-stage methods to minimize the effect of the bad properties. Finally we justify a challenge for new approaches based on interior-point methods in optimization.