Stochastic derivative estimation for max-stable random fields

Abstract: We consider expected performances based on max-stable random fields and we are interested in their derivatives with respect to the spatial dependence parameters of those fields. Max-stable fields, such as the Brown--Resnick and Smith fields, are very popular in spatial extremes. We focus on the two most popular unbiased stochastic derivative estimation approaches: the likelihood ratio method (LRM) and the infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA). LRM requires the multivariate density of the max-stable field to be explicit, and IPA necessitates the computation of the derivative with respect to the parameters for each simulated value. We propose convenient and tractable conditions ensuring the validity of LRM and IPA in the cases of the Brown--Resnick and Smith field, respectively. Obtaining such conditions is intricate owing to the very structure of max-stable fields. Then we focus on risk and dependence measures, which constitute one of the several frameworks where our theoretical results can be useful. We perform a simulation study which shows that both LRM and IPA perform well in various configurations, and provide a real case study that is valuable for the insurance industry.