[ADMB Users] glmmADMB-Function maximizer failed Poisson, ZIPoisson, NB1, ZINB1

[Rocio Jana]

Hello AMDB people 
 
I am working on selecting the best model for my data comparing the AIC of 6 models of the same data, constructed with different family distributions and Zero and non-Zero inflation. I am having the Function Maximizer Failed error, and tried to fix it with BBolker's recommendation, didn't work. I am using R 2.14.0 and glmmADMB 0.6.7.1 in Windows.
 
My response variable is mataicl (number of seeds of a particular species called matai), it is over dispersed and most-likely, zero inflated (ZI). The predictors are the dominance indexes (non-integers) for the canopy of 6 plant species that can be present above the seed traps that collect the seeds. I have data for 55 seed traps (trapno as grouping factor), in 12 years (year as random effects). Some of the seed traps have no data for some of the years (4 seed traps in each of 5 years). The data of the predictors is repeated across the years, as the seed traps and the trees are the same.
 
The model I am testing has the following syntax
pel.mataicl.NBalt<-glmmadmb(mataicl ~ rimuover + kahikover + mataiover + miroover + hinauover + tawaover+(year|trapno),zeroInflation=FALSE,data=pel.3.dat,family = "nbinom1")
 
The distributions I am testing, and errors are: 
Poisson (transformed the values of the fixed factors to integers x*100 but still same error) function maximizer failed
ZIPoisson function maximizer failed
NB (default)  NO PROBLEM
ZINB (default) NO PROBLEM
NBalt (type 1) function maximizer failed
ZINBalt (type 1) function maximizer failed
 
The error is:
 
 The function maximizer failed
In addition: Warning messages:
1: running command 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /c "C:/Program Files/R/R-2.14.0/library/glmmADMB/bin/windows32/glmmadmb.exe" -maxfn 500 -noinit -shess' had status 1 
2: In shell(cmd, invisible = TRUE) :
  '"C:/Program Files/R/R-2.14.0/library/glmmADMB/bin/windows32/glmmadmb.exe" -maxfn 500 -noinit -shess' execution failed with error code 1
 
I know this has been asked in the forum before, and the answer was to modify the arguments.
Well, I did it,
 
pel.mataicl.NBalt<-glmmadmb(mataicl ~ rimuover + kahikover + mataiover + miroover + hinauover + tawaover+(year|trapno),zeroInflation=FALSE,data=pel.3.dat,family = "nbinom1",admb.opts = admbControl(shess = FALSE, noinit = FALSE))
 
But still
 
  The function maximizer failed
In addition: Warning messages:
1: running command 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /c "C:/Program Files/R/R-2.14.0/library/glmmADMB/bin/windows32/glmmadmb.exe" -maxfn 500' had status 1 
2: In shell(cmd, invisible = TRUE) :
  '"C:/Program Files/R/R-2.14.0/library/glmmADMB/bin/windows32/glmmadmb.exe" -maxfn 500' execution failed with error code 1
 
Dave fournier suggested to run it from outside R. I am sorry but I don't know how to do that. And I don't know either how to include ./glmmadmb -shess Dave suggested.
 
This is only for one of the response variable I am testing in the example, but I have seeds from the 6 species, so 6 groups of models (one response variable at the time).And for each group I am aiming to select the best distribution.
 
Sorry about the extremely long email.
 
Sincerely
Rocio Jana
 


 
 
 
Rocio C. Jaña Prado
PhD candidate
School of Biological Sciences
University of Canterbury
Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8020
New Zealand
Phone: +64 3 3643055 or ext 3055
Fax: +64 3 3642590

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