Mode Poset Probability Polytopes

Abstract

A mode of a probability distribution is an elementary event that has more probability mass than each of its direct neighbors, with respect to some vicinity structure on the set of elementary events. The mode inequalities cut out a polytope from the simplex of probability distributions. Related to this is the concept of strong modes. A strong mode is an elementary event that has more probability mass than all its direct neighbors together. The set of probability distributions with a given set of strong modes is again a polytope. We study the vertices, the facets, and the volume of such polytopes depending on the sets of (strong) modes and the vicinity structures.