# #StackBounty: #expectation-maximization EM Algorithm Derivation, Discrete Case

### Bounty: 50

Just wanted to ask whether the following derivation is correct:

Suppose $$X$$ is a vector of observed random variables, $$Z$$ is a vector of unobserved random variables and $$theta$$ is a vector of parameters. Let $$S$$ be the set of values $$Z$$ could take on; we’ll assume this is discrete. We’ll also assume the following are known

$$f(x|z,theta)$$ = the probability density function of X given Z and theta
$$P(Z=z|theta)$$ = the probability that $$Z=z$$ given $$theta$$

The likelihood function I want is

$$prod_{zin S}[f(|z,theta)P(Z=z|theta)]^{1_{Z=z}}$$

Taking the logarithm:

$$sum_{zin S}1_{Z=z}[log f(|z,theta)+log P(Z=z|theta)]$$

Now suppose I’m performing the EM algorithm and my current estimate of $$theta$$ is $$theta^{(n)}$$. Then I need to apply $$E_{Z|theta^{(n)},x}$$ to the above expression. This gives:

$$sum_{zin S}P(Z=z|theta^{(n)})[log f(|z,theta)+log P(Z=z|theta)]$$

That is the expression I need to maximize with respect to $$theta$$ in the M step.

Is that correct, or did I make a mistake somethere? Thanks

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