[R-pkgs] Package np version 0.20-0 released to CRAN

[Jeffrey S. Racine]

Dear R users,

An updated version of the np package has recently been uploaded to CRAN
(version 0.20-0). Version 0.20-0 is documented in

Tristen Hayfield and Jeffrey S. Racine (2008). Nonparametric
Econometrics: The np Package. Journal of Statistical Software 27(5). URL
http://www.jstatsoft.org/v27/i05/

and also in a vignette (vignette("np",package="np")). There is also a
FAQ located in the package browse directory (np_faq.pdf, also available
at http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/racine/np_faq.pdf).

A much more thorough treatment of the subject matter can be found in Li,
Q. and J. S. Racine (2007), Nonparametric Econometrics: Theory and
Practice, Princeton University Press, ISBN: 0691121613 (768 Pages) for
those who might be interested
(http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8355.html)

Information on the np package:

This package provides a variety of nonparametric (and semiparametric)
kernel methods that seamlessly handle a mix of continuous, unordered,
and ordered factor datatypes. We would like to gratefully acknowledge
support from  the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada (NSERC:www.nserc.ca), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council of Canada (SSHRC:www.sshrc.ca), and the Shared Hierarchical
Academic Research Computing Network (SHARCNET:www.sharcnet.ca).

Changes from 0.14-3 to 0.20-0

* npksum now supports an expanded set of kernels (including 
  convolution, derivative and integral), which can be selected
  via the 'operator' argument.
* automatic bandwidth searches are now performed when attempting to 
  evaluate on data without bandwidths.
* npsigtest interface brought in line with other functions.
* significance tests can now be performed on npreg outputs.
* added a vignette and faq.
* summary on npconmode now properly retrieves names from bandwidth 
  objects.
* fixed the 6th and 8th order epanechnikov kernels.
* fixed some quietness issues.
* npplot now returns data upon request for conditional densities.
* npreg and npcdens now take the appropriate limits in some 
  pathological cases.

We are grateful to John Fox, Achim Zeilies, Roger Koenker, and numerous
users for their valuable feedback which resulted in an improved version
of the package.

-- Jeffrey Racine & Tristen Hayfield.
-- 
Professor J. S. Racine         Phone:  (905) 525 9140 x 23825
Department of Economics        FAX:    (905) 521-8232
McMaster University            e-mail: racinej at mcmaster.ca
1280 Main St. W.,Hamilton,     URL:
http://www.economics.mcmaster.ca/racine/
Ontario, Canada. L8S 4M4

`The generation of random numbers is too important to be left to chance'