Description
This package estimates factor analysis models using a
genetic algorithm, which permits a general mechanism for
restricted optimization with arbitrary restrictions that are
chosen at run time with the help of a GUI. Importantly,
inequality restrictions can be imposed on functions of multiple
parameters, which provides a new avenues for testing and
generating theories with factor analysis models. This package
also includes an entirely new estimator of the common factor
analysis model called semi-exploratory factor analysis, which
is a general alternative to exploratory and confirmatory factor
analysis. Finally, this package integrates a lot of other
packages that estimate sample covariance matrices and thus
provides a lot of alternatives to the traditional sample
covariance calculation. Note that you need to have the Gtk run
time library installed on your system to use this package; see
the URL below for detailed installation instructions. Most
users would only need to understand the first twenty-four pages
of the PDF manual.