Unimodal regression via prefix isotonic regression

This paper gives optimal algorithms for determining realvalued univariate unimodal regressions, that is, for determining the optimal regression which is increasing and then decreasing. Such regressions arise in a wide variety of applications. They are shape-constrained nonparametric regressions, closely related to isotonic regression. For unimodal regression on weighted points our algorithm for the metric requires only time, while for the metric it requires time. For unweighted points our algorithm for the metric also requires only time. Previous algorithms were for the metric and required time. All previous algorithms used multiple calls to isotonic regression, and our major contribution is to organize these into a prefix isotonic regression, determining the regression on all initial segments. The prefix approach reduces the total time required by utilizing the solution for one initial segment to solve the next.