Discrete Chi-square Method for Detecting Many Signals

Abstract: Unambiguous detection of signals superimposed on unknown trends is difficult for unevenly spaced data. Here, we formulate the Discrete Chi-square Method (DCM) that can determine the best model for many signals superimposed on arbitrary polynomial trends. DCM minimizes the Chi-square for the data in the multi-dimensional tested frequency space. The required number of tested frequency combinations remains manageable, because the method test statistic is symmetric in this tested frequency space. With our known tested constant frequency grid values, the non-linear DCM model becomes linear, and all results become unambiguous. We test DCM with simulated data containing different mixtures of signals and trends. DCM gives unambiguous results, if the signal frequencies are not too close to each other, and none of the signals is too weak. It relies on brute computational force, because all possible free parameter combinations for all reasonable linear models are tested. DCM works like winning a lottery by buying all lottery tickets. Anyone can reproduce all our results with the DCM computer code. All files, variables and other program code related items are printed in magenta colour. Our Appendix gives detailed instructions for using dcm.py. We also present one preliminary real use case, where DCM is applied to the observed (O) minus the computed (C) eclipse epochs of a binary star, XZ And. This DCM analysis reveals evidence for the possible presence of a third and a fourth body in this system. One recent study of a very large sample of binary stars indicated that the probability for detecting a fourth body from the O-C data of eclipsing binaries is only about 0.00005.