computer science

OxMetrics

OxMetrics is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OxMetrics rather than just read about it. In short: OxMetrics is an econometric software including the Ox programming language for econometrics and statistics, developed by Jurgen Doornik and David Hendry. OxMetrics originates from PcGive, one of the first econometric software for personal computers, initiated by David Hendry in the 1980s at the London School of Economics.

Key takeaways

OxMetrics belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OxMetrics to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OxMetrics from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

OxMetrics is an econometric software including the Ox programming language for econometrics and statistics, developed by Jurgen Doornik and David Hendry. OxMetrics originates from PcGive, one of the first econometric software for personal computers, initiated by David Hendry in the 1980s at the London School of Economics. OxMetrics builds on the Ox programming language of Jurgen Doornik developed at University of Oxford. Renfro (2004) describes the history of econometric software packages. OxMetrics is a family of software packages for the econometric and financial analysis of time series, forecasting, econometric model selection and for the statistical analysis of cross-sectional data and panel data. The main modules apart from PcGive for dynamic econometric models (ARDL, VAR, GARCH, Switching, Autometrics), panel data models (DPD), limited dependent models, are STAMP for structural time series modelling, "SsfPack" for State space methods and "G@RCH" for financial volatility modelling. Hendry & Nielsen (2007) present many empirical examples in PcGive for OxMetrics in their econometrics textbook. Durbin & Koopman (2012) give modern examples in their time series analysis textbook.

See also Econometric software Comparison of statistical packages

References Durbin, J.; Koopman, S. J. (2012). Time Series Analysis by State Space Methods (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. Hendry, D. F.; Nielsen, B. (2007). Econometric Modeling: A Likelihood Approach. Princeton University Press. Renfro, C. (2004). "Econometric software: The first fifty years in perspective" (PDF). Journal of Economic and Social Measurement. 29: 9–107.

External links OxMetrics Homepage PcGive STAMP software G@RCH software Comparison of mathematical programs for data analysis ScientificWeb

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OxMetrics

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OxMetrics claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OxMetrics before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OxMetrics ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OxMetrics

In research: OxMetrics appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses OxMetrics in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: OxMetrics is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Econometrics software, Proprietary commercial software for Linux, Statistical programming languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OxMetrics outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study OxMetrics in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OxMetrics means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain OxMetrics out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OxMetrics in simple terms?

Why does OxMetrics matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OxMetrics?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OxMetrics.