Bias-corrected estimations in varying-coefficient partially nonlinear models with measurement error in the nonparametric part

In this paper, we consider the statistical inference for the varying-coefficient partially nonlinear model with additive measurement errors in the nonparametric part. The local bias-corrected profile nonlinear least-squares estimation procedure for parameter in nonlinear function and nonparametric function is proposed. Then, the asymptotic normality properties of the resulting estimators are established. With the empirical likelihood method, a local bias-corrected empirical log-likelihood ratio statistic for the unknown parameter, and a corrected and residual adjusted empirical log-likelihood ratio for the nonparametric component are constructed. It is shown that the resulting statistics are asymptotically chi-square distribution under some suitable conditions. Some simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods. The results indicate that the empirical likelihood method is superior to the profile nonlinear least-squares method in terms of the confidence regions of parameter and point-wise confidence intervals of nonparametric function.     

EMPIRICAL LIKELIHOOD METHODS FOR THE GINI INDEX

The Gini index and its generalizations have been used extensively for measuring inequality and poverty in the social sciences. Recently, interval estimation based on nonparametric statistics has been proposed in the literature, for example the naive bootstrap method, the iterated bootstrap method and the bootstrap method via a pivotal statistic. In this paper, we propose empirical likelihood methods to construct confidence intervals for the Gini index or the difference of two Gini indices. Simulation studies show that the proposed empirical likelihood method performs slightly worse than the bootstrap method based on a pivotal statistic in terms of coverage accuracy, but it requires less computation. However, the bootstrap calibration of the empirical likelihood method performs better than the bootstrap method based on a pivotal statistic.     

The relative performances of improved ridge estimators and an empirical bayes estimator: some monte carlo results

The relative 'performances of improved ridge estimators and an empirical Bayes estimator are studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The empirical Bayes method is seen to perform consistently better in terms of smaller MSE and more accurate empirical coverage than any of the estimators considered here. A bootstrap method is proposed to obtain more reliable estimates of the MSE of ridge esimators. Some theorems on the bootstrap for the ridge estimators are also given and they are used to provide an analytical understanding of the proposed bootstrap procedure. Empirical coverages of the ridge estimators based on the proposed procedure are generally closer to the nominal coverage when compared to their earlier counterparts. In general, except for a few cases, these coverages are still less accurate than the empirical coverages of the empirical Bayes estimator.     

SOME RESAMPLING PROCEDURES UNDER SYMMETRY

This paper investigates the properties of bootstrap and related methods assuming that the underlying distribution is symmetric but otherwise unknown. In particular it studies the percentile-t, nonparametric tilting and empirical likelihood and finds that the performance of percentile-t and non-parametric tilting methods can be improved by incorporating the symmetry into the resampling procedure. However, for symmetric empirical likelihood, the Bartlett correctability no longer holds, although use of bootstrap calibration restores the good coverage properties typically associated with Bartlett correction. This surprising result shows that Bartlett correctability is a very delicate property.     

Efficient M-estimators with auxiliary information

This paper introduces a new class of M-estimators based on generalised empirical likelihood (GEL) estimation with some auxiliary information available in the sample. The resulting class of estimators is efficient in the sense that it achieves the same asymptotic lower bound as that of the efficient generalised method of moment (GMM) estimator with the same auxiliary information. The paper also shows that in case of smooth estimating equations the proposed estimators enjoy a small second order bias property compared to both efficient GMM and full GEL estimators. Analytical formulae to obtain bias corrected estimators are also provided. Simulations show that with correctly specified auxiliary information the proposed estimators and in particular those based on empirical likelihood outperform standard M and efficient GMM estimators both in terms of finite sample bias and efficiency. On the other hand with moderately misspecified auxiliary information estimators based on the nonparametric tilting method are typically characterised by the best finite sample properties.     

A nonparametric test for similarity of marginals—With applications to the assessment of population bioequivalence

In this paper we suggest a completely nonparametric test for the assessment of similar marginals of a multivariate distribution function. This test is based on the asymptotic normality of Mallows distance between marginals. It is also shown that the n out of n bootstrap is weakly consistent, thus providing a theoretical justification to the work in Czado, C. and Munk, A. [2001. Bootstrap methods for the nonparametric assessment of population bioequivalence and similarity of distributions. J. Statist. Comput. Simulation 68, 243–280]. The test is extended to cross-over trials and is applied to the problem of population bioequivalence, where two formulations of a drug are shown to be similar up to a tolerable limit. This approach was investigated in small samples using bootstrap techniques in Czado, C., Munk, A. [2001. Bootstrap methods for the nonparametric assessment of population bioequivalence and similarity of distributions. J. Statist. Comput. Simulation 68, 243–280], showing that the bias corrected and accelerated bootstrap yields a very accurate and powerful finite sample correction. A data example is discussed.     

A weighted bootstrap approximation for comparing the error distributions in nonparametric regression

Several procedures have been proposed for testing the equality of error distributions in two or more nonparametric regression models. Here we deal with methods based on comparing estimators of the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the errors in each population to an estimator of the common CDF under the null hypothesis. The null distribution of the associated test statistics has been approximated by means of a smooth bootstrap (SB) estimator. This paper proposes to approximate their null distribution through a weighted bootstrap. It is shown that it produces a consistent estimator. The finite sample performance of this approximation is assessed by means of a simulation study, where it is also compared to the SB. This study reveals that, from a computational point of view, the proposed approximation is more efficient than the one provided by the SB.     

New inference procedures for generalized Poisson distributions

A common feature for compound Poisson and Katz distributions is that both families may be viewed as generalizations of the Poisson law. In this paper, we present a unified approach in testing the fit to any distribution belonging to either of these families. The test involves the probability generating function, and it is shown to be consistent under general alternatives. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic is obtained, and an effective bootstrap procedure is employed in order to investigate the performance of the proposed test with real and simulated data. Comparisons with classical methods based on the empirical distribution function are also included.     

CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO PARTIAL AUCS

As new diagnostic tests are developed and marketed, it is very important to be able to compare the accuracy of a given two continuous‐scale diagnostic tests. An effective method to evaluate the difference between the diagnostic accuracy of two tests is to compare partial areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs). In this paper, we review existing parametric methods. Then, we propose a new semiparametric method and a new nonparametric method to investigate the difference between two partial AUCs. For the difference between two partial AUCs under each method, we derive a normal approximation, define an empirical log‐likelihood ratio, and show that the empirical log‐likelihood ratio follows a scaled chi‐square distribution. We construct five confidence intervals for the difference based on normal approximation, bootstrap, and empirical likelihood methods. Finally, extensive simulation studies are conducted to compare the finite‐sample performances of these intervals, and a real example is used as an application of our recommended intervals. The simulation results indicate that the proposed hybrid bootstrap and empirical likelihood intervals outperform other existing intervals in most cases.     

Tests for Symmetric Error Distribution in Linear and Nonparametric Regression Models

In linear and nonparametric regression models, the problem of testing for symmetry of the distribution of errors is considered. We propose a test statistic which utilizes the empirical characteristic function of the corresponding residuals. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic as well as its behavior under alternatives is investigated. A simulation study compares bootstrap versions of the proposed test to other more standard procedures.     

A NONPARAMETRIC TEST OF CHANGING CONDITIONAL VARIANCES IN AUTOREGRESSIVE TIME SERIES

A nonparametric test for detecting changing conditional variances in stationary AR(p) time series is proposed in this paper. For AR(1) models, the test statistic is a Kolmogorov-Smirnov type statistic and the asymptotic theory is developed under both the null and the alternative hypotheses. For AR(p) models (p ≥ 2), an approximate test procedure is proposed. The empirical upper percentage points for our test are tabulated for both p = 1 and p = 2 cases and a bootstrap procedure is suggested for the p ≥ 3 case. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the test has very good powers for finite samples under both normal and non-normal errors.     

Empirical likelihood confidence intervals under imputation for missing survey data from stratified simple random sampling

Missing observations due to non‐response are commonly encountered in data collected from sample surveys. The focus of this article is on item non‐response which is often handled by filling in (or imputing) missing values using the observed responses (donors). Random imputation (single or fractional) is used within homogeneous imputation classes that are formed on the basis of categorical auxiliary variables observed on all the sampled units. A uniform response rate within classes is assumed, but that rate is allowed to vary across classes. We construct confidence intervals (CIs) for a population parameter that is defined as the solution to a smooth estimating equation with data collected using stratified simple random sampling. The imputation classes are assumed to be formed across strata. Fractional imputation with a fixed number of random draws is used to obtain an imputed estimating function. An empirical likelihood inference method under the fractional imputation is proposed and its asymptotic properties are derived. Two asymptotically correct bootstrap methods are developed for constructing the desired CIs. In a simulation study, the proposed bootstrap methods are shown to outperform traditional bootstrap methods and some non‐bootstrap competitors under various simulation settings. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 47: 281–301; 2019 © 2019 Statistical Society of Canada     

Generalised regression estimation via the bootstrap

A generalised regression estimation procedure is proposed that can lead to much improved estimation of population characteristics, such as quantiles, variances and coefficients of variation. The method involves conditioning on the discrepancy between an estimate of an auxiliary parameter and its known population value. The key distributional assumption is joint asymptotic normality of the estimates of the target and auxiliary parameters. This assumption implies that the relationship between the estimated target and the estimated auxiliary parameters is approximately linear with coefficients determined by their asymptotic covariance matrix. The main contribution of this paper is the use of the bootstrap to estimate these coefficients, which avoids the need for parametric distributional assumptions. First‐order correct conditional confidence intervals based on asymptotic normality can be improved upon using quantiles of a conditional double bootstrap approximation to the distribution of the studentised target parameter estimate.     

Pseudo‐empirical likelihood ratio confidence intervals for complex surveys

The authors show how an adjusted pseudo‐empirical likelihood ratio statistic that is asymptotically distributed as a chi‐square random variable can be used to construct confidence intervals for a finite population mean or a finite population distribution function from complex survey samples. They consider both non‐stratified and stratified sampling designs, with or without auxiliary information. They examine the behaviour of estimates of the mean and the distribution function at specific points using simulations calling on the Rao‐Sampford method of unequal probability sampling without replacement. They conclude that the pseudo‐empirical likelihood ratio confidence intervals are superior to those based on the normal approximation, whether in terms of coverage probability, tail error rates or average length of the intervals.     

A parametric empirical Bayes approach to the analysis of capture-recapture experiments

Empirical Bayes methods and a bootstrap bias adjustment procedure are used to estimate the size of a closed population when the individual capture probabilities are independently and identically distributed with a Beta distribution. The method is examined in simulations and applied to several well-known datasets. The simulations show the estimator performs as well as several other proposed parametric and non-parametric estimators.     

Empirical likelihood tests for two‐sample problems via nonparametric density estimation

The authors study the problem of testing whether two populations have the same law by comparing kernel estimators of the two density functions. The proposed test statistic is based on a local empirical likelihood approach. They obtain the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic and propose a bootstrap approximation to calibrate the test. A simulation study is carried out in which the proposed method is compared with two competitors, and a procedure to select the bandwidth parameter is studied. The proposed test can be extended to more than two samples and to multivariate distributions.     

Generalized empirical likelihood inference in partial linear regression model for longitudinal data

In this paper, empirical likelihood inference for longitudinal data within the framework of partial linear regression models are investigated. The proposed procedures take into consideration the correlation within groups without involving direct estimation of nuisance parameters in the correlation matrix. The empirical likelihood method is used to estimate the regression coefficients and the baseline function, and to construct confidence intervals. A nonparametric version of Wilk's theorem for the limiting distribution of the empirical likelihood ratio is derived. Compared with methods based on normal approximations, the empirical likelihood does not require consistent estimators for the asymptotic variance and bias. The finite sample behaviour of the proposed method is evaluated with simulation and illustrated with an AIDS clinical trial data set.     

Nonparametric estimation of the conditional mean residual life function with censored data

The conditional mean residual life (MRL) function is the expected remaining lifetime of a system given survival past a particular time point and the values of a set of predictor variables. This function is a valuable tool in reliability and actuarial studies when the right tail of the distribution is of interest, and can be more informative than the survivor function. In this paper, we identify theoretical limitations of some semi-parametric conditional MRL models, and propose two nonparametric methods of estimating the conditional MRL function. Asymptotic properties such as consistency and normality of our proposed estimators are established. We investigate via simulation study the empirical properties of the proposed estimators, including bootstrap pointwise confidence intervals. Using Monte Carlo simulations we compare the proposed nonparametric estimators to two popular semi-parametric methods of analysis, for varying types of data. The proposed estimators are demonstrated on the Veteran’s Administration lung cancer trial.     

Goodness‐of‐fit testing based on a weighted bootstrap: A fast large‐sample alternative to the parametric bootstrap

The process comparing the empirical cumulative distribution function of the sample with a parametric estimate of the cumulative distribution function is known as the empirical process with estimated parameters and has been extensively employed in the literature for goodness‐of‐fit testing. The simplest way to carry out such goodness‐of‐fit tests, especially in a multivariate setting, is to use a parametric bootstrap. Although very easy to implement, the parametric bootstrap can become very computationally expensive as the sample size, the number of parameters, or the dimension of the data increase. An alternative resampling technique based on a fast weighted bootstrap is proposed in this paper, and is studied both theoretically and empirically. The outcome of this work is a generic and computationally efficient multiplier goodness‐of‐fit procedure that can be used as a large‐sample alternative to the parametric bootstrap. In order to approximately determine how large the sample size needs to be for the parametric and weighted bootstraps to have roughly equivalent powers, extensive Monte Carlo experiments are carried out in dimension one, two and three, and for models containing up to nine parameters. The computational gains resulting from the use of the proposed multiplier goodness‐of‐fit procedure are illustrated on trivariate financial data. A by‐product of this work is a fast large‐sample goodness‐of‐fit procedure for the bivariate and trivariate t distribution whose degrees of freedom are fixed. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 40: 480–500; 2012 © 2012 Statistical Society of Canada     

On the relative accuracy of certain bootstrap procedures

We show the second-order relative accuracy, on bounded sets, of the Studentized bootstrap, exponentially tilted bootstrap and nonparametric likelihood tilted bootstrap, for means and smooth functions of means. We also consider the relative errors for larger deviations. Our method exploits certain connections between Edgeworth and saddlepoint approximations to simplify the computations.