The key differences between DeepAR in TensorFlow and GluonTS are:
1. Implementation Framework:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Implemented using TensorFlow, a popular deep learning framework.
- GluonTS: Built on top of the Apache MXNet deep learning framework and uses the Gluon API.
2. Model Components:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Includes a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) with LSTM or GRU cells that takes previous time points and co-variates as input.
- GluonTS: Provides a range of components for building time series models, including neural networks, probabilistic models, and state-space models.
3. Model Development:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Focuses on implementing a specific model, DeepAR.
- GluonTS: A comprehensive toolkit for building and benchmarking time series models, including DeepAR and other state-of-the-art models.
4. Usage and Purpose:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Primarily used for implementing the DeepAR model.
- GluonTS: Designed for scientists and researchers to rapidly develop and benchmark new time series models for tasks such as forecasting and anomaly detection.
5. Additional Features:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Does not include additional features like data I/O, model evaluation, and plotting utilities.
- GluonTS: Includes tools for rapid experimentation, including data I/O, model evaluation, and plotting utilities.
6. Pre-Bundled Models:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Does not include pre-bundled models.
- GluonTS: Includes pre-bundled implementations of state-of-the-art time series models, allowing for easy benchmarking of new algorithms.
7. Model Evaluation:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Does not include specific tools for model evaluation.
- GluonTS: Includes tools for model evaluation and provides a benchmarking framework.
8. Data Requirements:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Does not specify data requirements.
- GluonTS: Supports both univariate and multivariate time series data.
9. Model Choice Criteria:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Does not provide specific criteria for choosing between DeepAR and other models.
- GluonTS: Provides criteria similar to those for choosing between Auto-regressive (AR) models and ETS models, recommending DeepAR if there are global effects inherent in the dataset that would improve forecasts for individual time series.
10. Community and Support:
- DeepAR in TensorFlow: Limited community support.
- GluonTS: Actively maintained and used at Amazon, with a growing community and extensive documentation.
In summary, while both DeepAR in TensorFlow and GluonTS are used for time series forecasting, GluonTS is a more comprehensive toolkit that provides a broader range of tools and features for building and benchmarking time series models. GluonTS is designed for scientific use cases and includes pre-bundled models and tools for rapid experimentation, making it a more versatile and widely applicable tool for time series modeling[1][2][3][4][5].
Citations:[1] https://www.jmlr.org/papers/volume21/19-820/19-820.pdf
[2] https://ar5iv.labs.arxiv.org/html/1906.05264
[3] https://github.com/awslabs/gluonts/discussions/2169
[4] https://github.com/arrigonialberto86/deepar
[5] https://datascience.stackexchange.com/questions/110122/what-is-feat-dynamic-real-feat-static-cat-and-feat-static-real-in-gluonts-model