On Nonparametric Estimation of a Reliability Function

This article considers the properties of a nonparametric estimator developed for a reliability function which is used in many reliability problems. Properties such as asymptotic unbiasedness and consistency are proven for the estimator and using U-statistics, weak convergence of the estimator to a normal distribution is shown. Finally, numerical examples based on an extensive simulation study are presented to illustrate the theory and compare the estimator developed in this article with another based directly on the ratio of two empirical distributions studied in Zardasht and Asadi (2010 Zardasht , V. , Asadi , M. ( 2010 ). Evaluation of P(X _t  > Y _t ) when both X _t and Y _t are residual lifetimes of two systems . Statistica Neerlandica 64 : 460 – 481 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]).