Foundations for statistical inference in the analysis of human mobility data

We formulate a statistical flight-pause model for human mobility, represented by a collection of random objects, called motions, appropriate for mobile phone tracking (MPT) data. We develop the statistical machinery for parameter inference and trajectory imputation under various forms of missing data. We show that common assumptions about the missing data mechanism for MPT are not valid for the mechanism governing the random motions underlying the flight-pause model, representing an understudied missing data phenomenon. We demonstrate the consequences of missing data and our proposed adjustments in both simulations and real data, outlining implications for MPT data collection and design.