Hi all,
I tried to write up a relatively simple GMM estimation, but I needed a
moment-evaluator program to do some simulation for each evaluation
(this basically becomes the method of simulated moments). I tried to
follow of the example of David Drukker, presented in DC this summer
(slides 23-26): http://www.stata.com/meeting/dcconf09/abstracts.html
(A similar example is in the -help gmm- file too.)
His GMM evaluator function is tailored for the application, thus uses
some actual variable names, not locals coming from the command. I did
the same (though I also needed to use Mata). Crucially, he had no
varlist in his command either: "gmm xtfe ," (But mentioned a varlist
in the syntax -- still, it worked for him.)
Could you look into what goes wrong here? The error messages did not
help me much. I don't know where is it expecting a varlist, and how I
could provide it. (I admit I am not good with ado files yet.)
The error:
. gmm msm moment, nequations(1) parameters(cons hp weight ac) instruments(cons
> hp weight ac cons2 hp2 weight2 ac2, noconstant)
varlist required
varlist required
error calling msm moment at initial values
varlist required
(error occurred while loading msm.ado)
r(100);
The mata code defining the function that the evaluator function uses
(this is in the main do-file, but the .mo is saved in the project's
folder, so accessible for the ado-file too, I presume):
cap drop deltastar sigma xi
gen deltastar = 0
gen sigma = 0
gen xi = 0
mata:
void fingerscrossed(real rowvector beta) {
real scalar ns
real vector d, sig, s, p, xi, y
real matrix X, term
ns = 1000
st_view(X,.,"cons hp weight ac")
st_view(d,.,"deltastar")
st_view(sig,.,"sig")
st_view(s,.,"share")
st_view(p,.,"price")
st_view(xi,.,"xi")
y = rnormal(1,ns,35000,45000)
term = J(rows(d),ns,.)
while (norm(log(s)-log(sig),2) > 0.01) {
for (i=1;i<=ns;i++) {
term[.,i] = exp(d - 1/exp(y[1,i])*p+X*beta')
term[.,i] = 1/(1+quadsum(term[.,i]))*term[.,i]
}
sig = mean(term')
d[.,.]=d[.,.] + log(s[.,.])-log(sig[.,.])
}
xi = d-X*beta'
}
mata mosave fingerscrossed(), replace
end
Finally, the moment evaluator function itself (in a separate msm.ado file):
program msm
version 11
syntax varlist [if], at(name)
quietly {
cap drop deltastar sigma xi
gen deltastar = 0
gen sigma = 0
gen xi = 0
matrix beta = `at'
mata:
beta = st_matrix("beta")
fingerscrossed(beta)
end
replace `varlist' = xi `if'
}
end
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