# Error when estimating parameters in a multi-level ODE model

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-when-estimating-parameters-in-a-multi-level-ode-model/52555>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Created:** [December 29, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-when-estimating-parameters-in-a-multi-level-ode-model/52555 "2020-12-29T05:36:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![andriizayac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/andriizayac/32/20625_2.png) [@andriizayac](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/andriizayac)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-when-estimating-parameters-in-a-multi-level-ode-model/52555/1 "2020-12-29T05:36:38Z")

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Hi all,  
I’m trying to estimate parameters in a logistic growth model with varying parameters using @DifferentialEquations.jl and @Turing.jl. Starting from the simplest case, I’d like to estimate `K` for each equation in the system, which ideally would be inferred from the data. I’ve tried using this example of a multi-level model [https://github.com/StatisticalRethinkingJulia/TuringModels.jl/blob/master/scripts/13/m13.2.jl](https://github.com/StatisticalRethinkingJulia/TuringModels.jl/blob/master/scripts/13/m13.2.jl) with DiffEq solver and am running into the following error:

`ERROR: TypeError: in typeassert, expected Float64, got a value of type ForwardDiff.Dual{Nothing,Float64,6} `

Here’s a general example of what I’m trying to do:

```julia
using DifferentialEquations, Turing, MCMCChains

function f(u, p, t) 
     r, k = p[1], p[2:end]
     return r*u .* (1 .- u ./ k) 
end
n = 4
u0 = rand(n) 
tspan = (0.0,20.0)
r = .75; k = 25; γ = 2
g = rand(Normal(k, γ), n)
p = [r; g]
dt = .5
prob = ODEProblem(f, u0, tspan, p)
sol = solve(prob, RK4(), saveat = dt, reltol = 1e-6) 

data = Array(sol) + .1randn(size(Array(sol)))

@model function fn_lg(data, prob, ::Type{T} = Float64) where {T <: Real}
     γ ~ Exponential(5)
     k ~ Normal(30, 10)
     theta = Vector{Float64}(undef, length(n))
     for j=1:length(n)
          theta[j] ~ truncated(Normal(k, γ), 0,100)
     end
     σ ~ InverseGamma(2,1)
     r ~ truncated(Normal(1, 1), 0, 2)
     p = [r]
     for i=1:length(n)
          push!(p, convert(Float64, false ? theta[i] : theta[i]) )
     end

     predicted = solve(prob, Rosenbrock23(autodiff=false), reltol=1e-3; p=p, saveat = dt)

     for i=1:length(predicted)
          data[:,i] ~ MvNormal(predicted[i], σ)
     end
end

model = fn_lg(data, prob)
chain = @time sample(model, Turing.NUTS(40, .65), 50, progress=true)

```

I could have missed something in the documentation and/or `DiffEqBayes.turing_inference()` [https://github.com/SciML/DiffEqBayes.jl/blob/master/src/turing\_inference.jl](https://github.com/SciML/DiffEqBayes.jl/blob/master/src/turing_inference.jl) (which handles arrayed of parameters), but cannot seem to pin down what exactly when writing it out explicitly via `Turing.@model`. The error seems to be related to the type of parameters passed on to the ode solver (?), but I could really use some help with its interpretation and locating the solution.

Will greatly appreciate any thoughts or advice!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChrisRackauckas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/chrisrackauckas/32/77_2.png) [@ChrisRackauckas](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ChrisRackauckas)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 6:12am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-when-estimating-parameters-in-a-multi-level-ode-model/52555/2 "2020-12-29T06:12:09Z")

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> [@andriizayac](#):
>
> `Float64`

Your values are not `Float64` so stop trying to force them to be. Instead just write generic statements, i.e. `theta = Vector{T}(undef, length(n))`, `convert(T, false ? theta[i] : theta[i])`.

Or better yet, you might want to follow the Bayesian Differential Equation tutorials from the Turing page:

[https://turing.ml/dev/tutorials/10-bayesiandiffeq/](https://turing.ml/dev/tutorials/10-bayesiandiffeq/)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![andriizayac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/andriizayac/32/20625_2.png) [@andriizayac](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/andriizayac)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-when-estimating-parameters-in-a-multi-level-ode-model/52555/3 "2020-12-29T18:58:41Z")

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Thanks for looking into this! Guess I interpreted the error too literally, will definitely work through the tutorials again. Thanks so much! - That fixed the error.