Classes of kernels for machine learning: a statistics perspective

In this paper, we present classes of kernels for machine learning from a statistics perspective. Indeed, kernels are positive definite functions and thus also covariances. After discussing key properties of kernels, as well as a new formula to construct kernels, we present several important classes of kernels: anisotropic stationary kernels, isotropic stationary kernels, compactly supportedkernels, locally stationary kernels, nonstationary kernels, andseparable nonstationary kernels. Compactly supportedkernels andseparable nonstationary kernels are of prime interest because they provide a computational reduction for kernelbased methods. We describe the spectral representation of the various classes of kernels and conclude with a discussion on the characterization of nonlinear maps that reduce nonstationary kernels to either stationarity or local stationarity.