All `RandomVariable`s should have `name`s

[dylanhmorris]

Currently, the metaclass doesn't enforce this. Any concerns about clashes (e.g. in cases of composition) can be handled with numpyro.handlers.scope

@damonbayer @cdc-mitzimorris any objections?

[cdc-mitzimorris]

This is a good proposal. Here is an implementation plan:

Scope of the PR

20 concrete RandomVariable subclasses in pyrenew/. Of those:

Already have name in init (12 classes — just need super().init(name=name)):

• DeterministicVariable, DeterministicPMF
• DynamicDistributionalVariable, StaticDistributionalVariable
• TransformedVariable
• BaseObservationProcess (+ subclasses Counts, Measurements)
• HierarchicalNormalPrior, GammaGroupSdPrior, StudentTGroupModePrior
• RtPeriodicDiffARProcess / RtWeeklyDiffARProcess
• InfectionInitializationProcess
• HierarchicalInfections (via BaseLatentInfectionProcess)
• VectorizedRV (has plate_name, would need a name too or rename)

Need a new name parameter added (8 classes):

• ARProcess
• DifferencedProcess
• Infections
• InfectionsWithFeedback
• IIDRandomSequence
• PeriodicEffect
• DayOfWeekEffect
• BaseLatentInfectionProcess (abstract — could accept name and pass to super())

Files needing test/internal-caller updates:

• pyrenew/latent/temporal_processes.py — 3 spots: ARProcess() → ARProcess(name=...)
• pyrenew/process/rtperiodicdiffar.py — 1 spot
• pyrenew/process/randomwalk.py — wraps IIDRandomSequence
• test/test_ar_process.py, test/test_differenced_process.py, test/test_iid_random_sequence.py, test/test_periodiceffect.py, test/test_latent_infections.py,
  test/test_infectionsrtfeedback.py, test/test_transformed_rv_class.py, test/utils.py
• docs/tutorials/periodic_effects.qmd, docs/tutorials/random_variables.qmd

Verdict

Can be done in single PR. It's mechanical but wide: ~20 source files + ~10 test files + 2 tutorials. The changes per file are small (add a name parameter, thread it to
super().init). No design ambiguity, no behavioral changes, no builder/model impact. The risk is low — the main work is just touching every constructor and its call sites.

Estimate: ~300-400 lines changed across ~30 files, all following the same pattern.

[dylanhmorris]

• Check that pyrenew-multisignal is pinned
• Make breaking change if so
• Update pyrenew-multisignal

[cdc-mitzimorris]

pyrenew-multisignal is pinned to latest PyRenew release - https://github.com/CDCgov/PyRenew/releases/tag/v0.1.6

https://github.com/CDCgov/pyrenew-multisignal/blob/025a9a1c83dd8c0c6d59c1044ae05dcb94b7d091/pyproject.toml#L44-L45

[cdc-mitzimorris]

Design Decisions

• name is required in RandomVariable.init (not optional)
• RandomVariable.init validates name is a non-empty string and stores self.name
• NullVariable / NullObservation use hardcoded defaults ("null" / "null_observation")
• VectorizedRV gets a separate name parameter (distinct from plate_name)
• StandardNormalSequence / StandardNormalRandomWalk get name as new first param
• All subclasses that already set self.name drop that line and call super().init(name=name) instead