Pre-Training Estimators for Structural Models: Application to Consumer Search

Yanhao 'Max' Wei and Zhenling Jiang

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: We develop pre-trained estimators for structural econometric models. The estimator uses a neural net to recognize the structural model's parameter from data patterns. Once trained, the estimator can be shared and applied to different datasets at negligible cost and effort. Under sufficient training, the estimator converges to the Bayesian posterior given the data patterns. As an illustration, we construct a pretrained estimator for a sequential search model (available at pnnehome.github.io). Estimation takes only seconds and achieves high accuracy on 12 real datasets. More broadly, pretrained estimators can make structural models much easier to use and more accessible.

Date: 2025-05, Revised 2025-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ecm
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