Exact and fast simulation of max-stable processes on a compact set using the normalized spectral representation

Abstract

The efficiency of simulation algorithms for max-stable processes relies on the choice of the spectral representation: different choices result in different sequences of finite approximations to the process. We propose a constructive approach yielding a normalized spectral representation that solves an optimization problem related to the efficiency of simulating max-stable processes. The simulation algorithm based on the normalized spectral representation can be regarded as max-importance sampling. Compared to other simulation algorithms hitherto, our approach has at least two advantages. First, it allows the exact simulation of a comprising class of max-stable processes. Second, the algorithm has a stopping time with finite expectation. In practice, our approach has the potential of considerably reducing the simulation time of max-stable processes.