Returning function output on array of values in R

Question

I'm a beginner R programmer struggling with a multivariate array problem.

I'm attempting to input an array of 4 parameter values, say a=1:10, b=1:10, p=1:10, q=1:10, into a function y=f(x|a, b, p, q) that calculates values of y based on my dataset, x, and every possible combination of the given 4 parameters [(a=1,b=1,p=1,q=1),(a=2,b=1,p=1,q=1),...,(a=10,b=1,p=1,q=1),...,(a=10,b=10,p=10,q=10)] = 10^4 = 10,000 possible combinations and therefore 10,000 y values.

Ideally I'd like the output to be in an array format which I can then graph in R, allowing each parameter to be plotted as a separate axis.

If anyone could point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Robert

Robert, no disrespect intended, but you're not really asking a question. There are a number of steps needed to do what you're asking and it's impossible to tell from your question where you are hung. The best beginner R skill you can grab right now is decomposing your problem into steps. Then try to do each step. If you can't do a step, break that into a single question and show a simple example of what you want and what you've tried. — JD Long
– JD Long, Commented Apr 6, 2011 at 21:23
agreed with JD. In trying to compose an answer, I realized that I'm pretty much going to end up coding every step. — Maiasaura
– Maiasaura, Commented Apr 6, 2011 at 22:32
Yes, sorry about that, should have been more clear. I'm trying to map out the negative log-likelihood of a four parameter probability distribution (the Generalized Beta of the 2nd Kind) to help me find the best fit (= minimum negative log-likelihood) to my insurance claims data. There are various iterative algorithms available in SAS and R, but I've been having problems with them producing stable results as I vary the values of the initial parameters. So I'm going with the "eyeball" approach to locate the best initial parameters. — Robert
– Robert, Commented Apr 12, 2011 at 13:18

IRTFM · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-06 21:47:22Z

2

I agree with JD Long that the request is too vague to allow a final answer, but there is an answer to the first part:

all.comb.dfrm  <- expand.grid(a=1:10, b=1:10, p=1:10, q=1:10)
all.comb.dfrm$Y <- with(all.comb.dfrm, f(a,b,p,q) )

answered Apr 6, 2011 at 21:47

IRTFM

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Chase Over a year ago

I literally typed an identical answer with different object names. Beat me to the punch! +1

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