Dear R-user, I am trying to use the R "nlme" function to fit a non linear mixed effects model. The model I wand to fit is an individual somatic growth model with 4 parameters. For all parameters both fixed and random effects have to be estimated, as well as their covariance matrix (see the formula bellow). The data are simulated with the same growth model as in the nlme, with know parameters, and covariance matrix. I tried to fit the model with several simulated data sets, but most of the time, R returns an error message. there are three main types of errors : - there is a singular matrix - a factor is reduced bellow the PNLS level. - max number of iteration is reached but there is no convergence. Do you know how to resolve these problems. Is there a way to modify the parameters of the maximization algorithm to avoid these error messages? Furthermore, do you know if it is possible to fix the values of the fixed effects so that the model only has to estimate the random effects? Thank you for your help and answers. Regards, Thomas Brunel pds.fit<-nlme(pds~(exp (lna)/(exp (lnb) + 1/(1 + exp(1000 * (exp (lntmat) - t + 0.5))) * exp (lnc)))^4 * (1 - (1 - ( 0.051 * (1 - 1/(1 + exp(1000 * (exp (lntmat) - t + 0.5)))) + (exp (lna)/exp (lnb))^4 * (1 - (1 - (0.051)^0.25 * (exp (lnb)/exp (lna))) * exp( - ((exp (lnb) * exp (lntmat))/4)))^4 * 1/(1 + exp(1000 * (exp (lntmat) - t + 0.5))))^0.25 * ((exp (lnb) + 1/(1 + exp(1000 * (exp (lntmat) - t + 0.5))) * exp (lnc))/exp (lna))) * exp( - (((exp (lnb) + 1/(1 + exp(1000 * (exp (lntmat) - t + 0.5))) * exp (lnc)) *(t - (1/(1 + exp(1000 * (exp (lntmat) - t + 0.5))) * exp (lntmat))))/4)))^4,data=pdsdata,fixed=lna+lnb+lnc+lntmat~1,random= lna+lnb+lnc+lntmat~1|indi ,start=c(lna=log(a2),lnb=log(b2) ,lnc = log(c2), lntmat=log(1200))) -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Laboratoire Halieutique de Port-en-Bessin avenue du G?n?ral de Gaulle 14520 Port-en-Bessin t?l : 02 31 51 56 00 (standard) fax : 02 31 51 56 01 page personnelle (CV online): http://www.ifremer.fr/drvrhbr/personnel/brunel/index.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~