Determining the near-optimal block size for incremental-type expectation
maximization (EM) algorithms is disclosed. Block size is determined based on the
novel insight that the speed increase resulting from using an incremental-type
EM algorithm as opposed to the standard EM algorithm is roughly the same for a
given range of block sizes. Furthermore, this block size can be determined by an
initial version of the EM algorithm that does not reach convergence. For a current
block size, the speed increase is determined, and if the speed increase is the
greatest determined so far, the current block size is set as the target block size.
This process is repeated for new block sizes, until no new block sizes can be determined.
