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What is meant by the term "meta-parameter"? Can a definition, informal and/or formal, be provided?

For example, in reduced-rank regression, the rank ($r$) can be referred to as a meta-parameter of the method. For instance, see these notes, which I quote below.

The optimal choice of the rank $r$ will usually be unknown, and is considered as a meta-parameter of the method.

Reference: Reduced-rank regression, by Magne Aldrin (2002) in Encyclopaedia of Environmetrics.

amoeba
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Graeme Walsh
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    I voted to close as a duplicate of a recent thread asking about *hyperparameters*. This is because meta-parameter = hyper-parameter (at least in all cases I have encountered). Perhaps we should edit that previous question to include "meta-parameter" in it. The answers there are quite good and comprehensive. – amoeba May 13 '16 at 23:33
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    @amoeba I am not at all convinced that the specific meaning of "metaparameter" in the specific quote here is really that of a hyperparameter, – Glen_b May 14 '16 at 02:01
  • @Glen_b: It fits *exactly* to the definitions given in the hyperparameter thread. Most often given example there is that of $\lambda$ in ridge regression. The rank $r$ in reduced rank regression plays **the same** role of regularization (hyper)(meta)parameter. Why are you "not at all convinced"? – amoeba May 14 '16 at 08:47
  • @amoeba ... Okay -- I see that the issue is that that's a much broader definition of hyperparameter than I'd normally consider using myself. I withdraw the comment. Shall I delete these recent comments? – Glen_b May 14 '16 at 09:13

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