# `randomization_select` — Randomisation test (Y-permutation)
_Group_: **Variable selector** · _Registry tolerance_: `1e-06`
## Description
Randomization-test selector (§18 Phase 5o)
From the `pls4all.sklearn.RandomizationSelector` docstring:
> Randomization-test PLS selector (Y-permutation p-values).
> **Registry note** — Base R: SIMPLS coefs vs permuted-Y null distribution. Default `_randomization_select_pls4all` path mirrors the same base-R permutation test with seed=randomization_seed, giving bit-exact mask parity. The C++ splitmix64 kernel is opt-in via `legacy=True`.
### Parameters
| Name | Type | Default | Notes |
|------|------|---------|-------|
| `n_components` | `int` | `2` | Number of latent components extracted (k). |
| `n_permutations` | `int` | `200` | Number of Y-permutations used to build the null distribution. |
| `randomization_seed` | `int` | `0` | Seed for the permutation generator. |
| `alpha` | `float` | `0.05` | Significance level for the permutation-based variable retention test. |
## Explanations
### Bibliographic source
Westad, F. & Martens, H. (2000). *Variable selection in near infrared spectroscopy based on significance testing in partial least squares regression*. JNIRS 8(2), 117–124.
### Mathematical principle
Compute the observed PLS coefficient magnitudes $|b_j^{\mathrm{obs}}|$, then permute $\mathbf{y}$ $M$ times, refit PLS each time, and collect $|b_j^{(m)}|$. The empirical p-value of feature $j$ is $p_j = \frac{1 + \#\{m : |b_j^{(m)}| \ge |b_j^{\mathrm{obs}}|\}}{1 + M}$. Retain features with $p_j < \alpha$.
Y-permutation is the gold standard for **null-calibrated** significance testing in PLS — no distributional assumptions, no asymptotic approximations. Cost is $M$× a fit but trivially parallelisable.
Critically, Y-permutation tests the joint hypothesis 'feature $j$ contributes to $y$'; multiple-testing correction (Benjamini-Hochberg) is recommended for $p \gg 100$.
### Implementation
`n4m_feature_selection_randomization_select`.
R roxygen note (`methods_extra.R::randomization_select`):
> Randomization test selector.
> @param n_components Integer. Number of latent components.
> @param n_permutations Method-specific parameter. See the underlying `*_fit()` function for the exact semantics.
> @param randomization_seed Method-specific parameter. See the underlying `*_fit()` function for the exact semantics.
> @param alpha Numeric in [0, 1]. Elastic-net / penalty mixing parameter.
> @param X Numeric matrix of predictors (rows = samples, cols = features).
> @param Y Numeric matrix or vector of responses, with one row per sample.
> @export
### Usage
Every pls4all binding tab dispatches into the same C kernel; the external libraries listed at the bottom of the page are the parity references registered in `benchmarks.parity_timing.registry`. Switch tabs to read the same fit in your language. The R package now ships drop-in-compatible facades for the CRAN `pls` package (`plsr`, `pcr`, `mvr`) and for the `mdatools::pls(x, y, ...)` matrix idiom — those tabs appear only on the methods that have a meaningful equivalence.
**pls4all bindings**
::::{tab-set}
:class: pls4all-bindings
:::{tab-item} C ABI · libn4m
:sync: c
:class-label: lang-c
```c
/* C ABI — libn4m */
n4m_context_t* ctx = n4m_context_create();
n4m_config_t* cfg = n4m_config_create();
n4m_method_result_t* res = NULL;
n4m_feature_selection_randomization_select(ctx, cfg, &x_view, &y_view, /* hyperparams */, &res);
/* … read coefficients / mask / scores via */
/* n4m_method_result_get_double_matrix / vector / scalar … */
n4m_method_result_destroy(res);
n4m_config_destroy(cfg);
n4m_context_destroy(ctx);
```
:::
:::{tab-item} Python · pls4all (raw)
:sync: python-raw
:class-label: lang-python
```python
import pls4all
from pls4all._methods import randomization_select_fit
with pls4all.Context() as ctx, pls4all.Config() as cfg:
res = randomization_select_fit(ctx, cfg, X, y, n_components=4)
# then: res.matrix("predictions"), res.matrix("coefficients"),
# res.vector("mask"), res.scalar("intercept"), …
```
:::
:::{tab-item} Python · pls4all.sklearn
:sync: python-sklearn
:class-label: lang-python
```python
from pls4all.sklearn import RandomizationSelector
mdl = RandomizationSelector(n_components=2, n_permutations=200, randomization_seed=0, alpha=0.05)
mdl.fit(X, y)
y_hat = mdl.predict(X_test)
```
:::
:::{tab-item} R · pls4all_method()
:sync: r-dispatcher
:class-label: lang-r
```r
library(pls4all)
# Unified low-level dispatcher (May 2026 R cleanup):
res <- pls4all_method("randomization_select", X, y,
n_components = 4L, params = list(n_permutations = 50L, alpha = 0.05, randomization_seed = 11L))
# res is a named list with MethodResult arrays/scalars.
# selected_indices / top_k_intervals are 1-based.
```
:::
:::{tab-item} R · pls4all (raw fn)
:sync: r-raw
:class-label: lang-r
```r
library(pls4all)
res <- randomization_select(X, Y, n_components,
n_permutations = 100L,
randomization_seed = 0L, alpha = 0.05)
yhat <- pls4all_predict(res, X_test)
```
:::
:::{tab-item} MATLAB · pls4all (MEX)
:sync: matlab-mex
:class-label: lang-matlab
```matlab
res = pls4all.fit("randomization_select", X, y, "NumComponents", 4);
yhat = predict(res, Xtest);
```
:::
:::{tab-item} MATLAB · pls4all (classdef)
:sync: matlab-classdef
:class-label: lang-matlab
_No idiomatic classdef wrapper — invoke `pls4all.fit("randomization_select", X, y, …)` directly from the unified MEX factory._
:::
::::
**Registry parity references** 📐
:::{card}
:class-card: external-refs
- 📐 **`ref.r_pls_stats`** (R · r) — `pls+stats` R 4.3.3 · strict (rmse_rel ≤ 1e-06) — Base R: SIMPLS coefficients vs permuted-Y null distribution. Selects features with empirical p-value < alpha. Same idea as pls4all's randomization_test selector.
:::
### Benchmarks
Adaptive wall-clock per cell measured against [`full_matrix.csv`](../benchmarks/overview.md). Only backends that implement this method are listed; libraries without the method are omitted.
**Verdict** · ✓ ref / ≈ ref / ~ shape mark a reference-gate pass at strict / relaxed / qualitative tolerance · ✓ bind = pls4all binding agrees with the C++ baseline · ⇄ cross-check = documented by-design selector/RNG/model, noncanonical API/facade convention, or secondary oracle · ✗ divergent · ⚠ error · — not run. The fastest backend per column is marked 🏆.
**Reference gate**: strict — numeric equivalence (`rmse_rel_tol ≤ 1e-06`).
Rows tagged with **📐** are the canonical parity references for this method (declared in [`parity_timing.registry`](../benchmarks/methodology.md)). C++ and external rows show reference parity; pls4all language bindings show binding parity against the C++ backend. Hover the icon for role and tolerance band.
::::{tab-set}
:class: parity-tabs
:::{tab-item} 1 thread
:sync: threads-1
| Backend | Parity | 200×40 (ms) |
| C++ native · libn4m |
pls4all.cpp.blas+omp | ✓ J 1.00 | 181.1 ms |
| Python · pls4all |
pls4all.python | ✓ J 1.00 | 182.5 ms |
pls4all.sklearn | ✓ J 1.00 | 2.67 ms🏆 |
| R · pls4all |
pls4all.R | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.34 ms |
pls4all.R.formula | ✓ J 1.00 | 5.94 ms |
pls4all.R.mdatools | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.29 ms |
pls4all.R.pls | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.80 ms |
| R · external |
📐ref.r_pls_stats | source | 54.5 ms |
:::
:::{tab-item} 3 threads
:sync: threads-3
| Backend | Parity | 200×40 (ms) |
| C++ native · libn4m |
pls4all.cpp.blas+omp | ✓ J 1.00 | 187.4 ms |
| Python · pls4all |
pls4all.python | ✓ J 1.00 | 190.6 ms |
pls4all.sklearn | ✓ J 1.00 | 2.80 ms🏆 |
| R · pls4all |
pls4all.R | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.12 ms |
pls4all.R.formula | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.58 ms |
pls4all.R.mdatools | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.46 ms |
pls4all.R.pls | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.95 ms |
| R · external |
📐ref.r_pls_stats | source | 57.0 ms |
:::
:::{tab-item} 10 threads
:sync: threads-10
| Backend | Parity | 200×40 (ms) |
| C++ native · libn4m |
pls4all.cpp.blas+omp | ✓ J 1.00 | 222.2 ms |
| Python · pls4all |
pls4all.python | ✓ J 1.00 | 218.8 ms |
pls4all.sklearn | ✓ J 1.00 | 2.78 ms🏆 |
| R · pls4all |
pls4all.R | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.42 ms |
pls4all.R.formula | ✓ J 1.00 | 6.83 ms |
pls4all.R.mdatools | ✓ J 1.00 | 7.18 ms |
pls4all.R.pls | ✓ J 1.00 | 7.31 ms |
| R · external |
📐ref.r_pls_stats | source | 56.8 ms |
:::
::::
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_See also_: [benchmark overview](../benchmarks/overview.md) · [methods index](index.md) · [interactive dashboard](../landing/dashboard.md)