Non-gaussian Test Models for Prediction and State Estimation with Model Errors

Turbulent dynamical systems involve dynamics with both a large dimensional phase space and a large number of positive Lyapunov exponents. Such systems are ubiqui- tous in applications in contemporary science and engineering where the statistical ensemble prediction and the real time filtering/state estimation are needed despite the underlying complexity of the system. Statistically exactly solvable test models have a crucial role to provide firm mathematical underpinning or new algorithms for vastly more complex scien- tific phenomena. Here, a class of statistically exactly solvable non-Gaussian test models is introduced, where a generalized Feynman-Ka~ formulation reduces the exact behavior of conditional statistical moments to the solution to inhomogeneous Fokker-Planck equations modified by linear lower order coupling and source terms. This procedure is applied to a test model with hidden instabilities and is combined with information theory to address two important issues in the contemporary statistical prediction of turbulent dynamical systems： the coarse-grained ensemble prediction in a perfect model and the improving long range forecasting in imperfect models. The models discussed here should be use- ful for many other applications and algorithms for the real time prediction and the state estimation.