The theoretical partial autocorrelation function of a stationary time series can be calculated by using the [[Levinson-Durbin|Levinson–DurbinDurbin–Levinson Algorithm]]:<math display="block">\phi_{n,n} = \frac{\rho(n) - \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} \phi_{n-1, k} \rho(n - k)}{1 - \sum_{k=1}^{n-1} \phi_{n-1, k} \rho(k) }</math>where <math>\phi_{n,k} = \phi_{n-1, k} - \phi_{n,n} \phi_{n-1,n-k}</math> for <math>1 \leq k \leq n - 1</math> and <math>\rho(n)</math> is the autocorrelation function.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Durbin |first=J. |date=1960 |title=The Fitting of Time-Series Models |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1401322 |journal=Revue de l'Institut International de Statistique / Review of the International Statistical Institute |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=233–244 |doi=10.2307/1401322 |issn=0373-1138}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shumway |first=Robert H. |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-52452-8 |title=Time Series Analysis and Its Applications: With R Examples |last2=Stoffer |first2=David S. |date=2017 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-319-52451-1 |series=Springer Texts in Statistics |___location=Cham |pages=103-104 |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-52452-8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Enders |first=Walter |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52387978 |title=Applied econometric time series |date=2004 |publisher=J. Wiley |isbn=0-471-23065-0 |edition=2nd |___location=Hoboken, NJ |pages=65-67 |language=en |oclc=52387978}}</ref>
There are algorithms for estimating the partial autocorrelation based on the sample autocorrelations. The formula above can be used with sample autocorrelations to find the sample partial autocorrelation function of any given time series.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Box |first=George E. P. |title=Time Series Analysis: Forecasting and Control |last2=Reinsel |first2=Gregory C. |last3=Jenkins |first3=Gwilym M. |publisher=John Wiley |year=2008 |isbn=9780470272848 |edition=4th |___location=Hoboken, New Jersey |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Brockwell |first=Peter J. |title=Time Series: Theory and Methods |last2=Davis |first2=Richard A. |publisher=Springer |year=1991 |isbn=9781441903198 |edition=2nd |___location=New York, NY |pages=102, 243-245 |language=en}}</ref>
