Detect non-finite `log_lik` (`Inf` / `NaN`) and explicitely inform the user
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Description
Summary
If the pointwise log-likelihood matrix contains +Inf or NaN, loo::loo() currently completes without a clear error/warning and can return NA for elpd_loo.
Proposal
Before (or while) computing PSIS-LOO, check the log_lik matrix for non-finite values and message this clearly to the user.
Reproducible example
library(loo)
set.seed(1)
ll <- matrix(rnorm(400 * 20, -1, 0.5), 400, 20)
ll[1:5, 1] <- Inf
loo(ll)$estimates # elpd_loo is NA; no clear message that log_lik had +Inf
# Estimate SE
# elpd_loo NA NA
# p_loo NA NA
# looic NA NA
Context
Seen with truncated-normal log_lik from brms, where the truncation normalizer can underflow:
https://discourse.mc-stan.org/t/difficulty-adding-loo-criterion-to-longitudinal-truncated-normal-model/41447/12
Corresponding brms Issue: https://github.com/paul-buerkner/brms/issues/1899
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start at the loo::loo() entry point and trace where the log_lik matrix is validated or passed into PSIS-LOO. Use the reproducible matrix containing +Inf to verify that non-finite values are clearly reported instead of silently producing NA estimates. Done means the user-facing behavior identifies the invalid log_lik values and the existing example no longer completes without that information.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- r
- Domain
- data
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 68/100