A novel formulation of independence detection based on the sample characteristic function

Abstract

A novel independence test for continuous random sequences is proposed in this paper. The test is based on seeking for coherence in a particular fixed-dimension feature space based on a uniform sampling of the sample characteristic function of the data, providing significant computational advantages over kernel methods. This feature space relates uncorrelation and independence, allowing to analyze the second order statistics as it is encountered in traditional signal processing. As a result, the possibility of utilizing well known correlation tools arises, motivating the usage of Canonical Correlation Analysis as the main tool for detecting independence. Comparative simulation results are provided using a model based on fading AWGN channels.