Convergence properties of conditional medians

Certain convergence theorems, akin to results of Lévy and Lebesgue for conditional expectations, are established for conditional medians. An explicit representation of a conditional median is given.     

Fitting a multiple regression function

Consider the p-dimensional unit cube [0,1]^p, p≥1. Partition [0, 1]^p into n regions, R_1,n,…,R_n,n such that the volume Δ(R_j,n) is of order n^?1,j=1,…,n. Select and fix a point in each of these regions so that we have x⁽ⁿ⁾₁,…,x⁽ⁿ⁾_n. Suppose that associated with the j-th predictor vector x⁽ⁿ⁾_j there is an observable variable Y⁽ⁿ⁾_j, j=1,…,n, satisfying the multiple regression model $\text{Y}{}^{\mathrm{(n)}}{}_{\mathrm{j}}\text{=g(}\text{x}{}^{\mathrm{(n)}}{}_{\mathrm{j}}\text{)+e}{}^{\mathrm{(n)}}{}_{\mathrm{j}}$, where g is an unknown function defined on [0, 1]^pand {e⁽ⁿ⁾_j} are independent identically distributed random variables with Ee⁽ⁿ⁾₁=0 and Var e⁽ⁿ⁾₁=σ²<∞. This paper proposes as an estimator of g(x), where k(u) is a known p-dimensional bounded density and {a_n} is a sequence of reals converging to 0 asn→∞. Weak and strong consistency of g_n(x) and rates of convergence are obtained. Asymptoticnormality of the estimator is established. Also proposed is $\text{σ}{}^2{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{=n}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}\text{Σ}{}^{\mathrm{n}}{}_{\mathrm{j=1}}\text{(Y}{}^{\mathrm{(n)}}{}_{\mathrm{j}}\text{?g}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{(}\text{x}{}^{\mathrm{(n)}}{}_{\mathrm{j}}\text{))}{}^2$ as a consistent estimate of σ².     

The asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio when the model is incorrect

Classical results on the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic rely on the assumption that the model chosen to construct the test statistic be correct. The model is said to be correct if it contains the true distribution of the observations. In this paper the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic is derived without the condition that the model need be correct.     

Characterization of minimax linear estimators in linear regression

Two characterization theorems of the minimax linear estimator (Mile) are proven for the case, where the regression parameter varies only in an arbitrary ellipsoid. Furthermore, the existence, uniqueness and admissibility of Mile are shown. The explicit determination of Mile is carried out for a special case.     

A Note on Dirichlet One-Armed Bandits

One of the two independent stochastic processes (or ‘arms’) is selected and observed sequentially at each of n(≤ ∝) stages. Arm 1 yields observations identically distributed with unknown probability measure P with a Dirichlet process prior whereas observations from arm 2 have known probability measure Q. Future observations are discounted and at stage m, the payoff is a _m(≥0) times the observation Z _m at that stage. The objective is to maximize the total expected payoff. Clayton and Berry (1985) consider this problem when a _m equals 1 for m ≤ n and 0 for m > n(< ∝) In this paper, the Clayton and Berry (1985) results are extended to the case of regular discount sequences of horizon n, which may also be infinite. The results are illustrated with numerical examples. In case of geometric discounting, the results apply to a bandit with many independent unknown Dirichlet arms.     

Variance Estimation Based on Invariance Principles

Consistent variance estimators for certain stochastic processes are suggested using the fact that (weak or strong) invariance principles may be available. Convergence rates are also derived, the latter being essentially determined by the approximation rates in the corresponding invariance principles. As an application, a change point test in a simple AMOC renewal model is briefly discussed, where variance estimators possessing good enough convergence rates are required.     

The Likelihood Ratio Test for the Presence of Immunes in a Censored Sample

Models for populations with immune or cured individuals but with others subject to failure are important in many areas, such as medical statistics and criminology. One method of analysis of data from such populations involves estimating an immune proportion 1 ? p and the parameter(s) of a failure distribution for those individuals subject to failure. We use the exponential distribution with parameter λ for the latter and a mixture of this distribution with a mass 1 ? p at infinity to model the complete data. This paper develops the asymptotic theory of a test for whether an immune proportion is indeed present in the population, i.e., for H ₀:p = 1. This involves testing at the boundary of the parameter space for p. We use a likelihood ratio test for H ₀. and prove that minus twice the logarithm of the likelihood ratio has as an asymptotic distribution, not the chi-square distribution, but a 50–50 mixture of a chi-square distribution with 1 degree of freedom, and a point mass at 0. The result is proved under an independent censoring assumption with very mild restrictions.     

A General Approach To Nonparametric Histogram Estimation

We note that some classical functional estimation problems may be reduced to a general unique framework and study an estimator within this general framework that reduces to the classical histogram type estimators in various examples presented. The convergence in probability and the almost complete convergence of this general estimator are studied obtaining convergence conditions which reduce to the classical conditions in each case. Finally, this general framework provides conditions for the convergence of the finite dimensional distributions of the associated empirical process.     

Central limit theorems for LS estimators in the EV regression model with dependent measurements

In this paper, we consider the simple linear errors-in-variables (EV) regression models: η_i=θ+βx_i+ε_i,ξ_i=x_i+δ_i,1≤i≤n, where θ,β,x₁,x₂,… are unknown constants (parameters), (ε₁,δ₁),(ε₂,δ₂),… are errors and ξ_i,η_i,i=1,2,… are observable. The asymptotic normality for the least square (LS) estimators of the unknown parameters β and θ in the model are established under the assumptions that the errors are m-dependent, martingale differences, ?-mixing, ρ-mixing and α-mixing.     

Changepoint Problems Under Random Censorship

Let X ₁, …, X _[nθ], X _{[nθ] + 1}, …, X _n be a sequence of independent random variables (the “lifetimes”) such that X _j ? F ₁ for 1 ≤ j ≤ [nθ] and X _j ? F ₂ for [nθ] + 1 ≤ j ≤ n, with F ₁ ≠ F ₂ unknown. In this paper we investigate an estimator θ _n for the changepoint θ if the X's are subject to censoring. The rate of almost sure convergence of θ _n to θ is established and a test for the hypothesis θ = 0, i.e. “no change”, is proposed.     

Rate of strong uniform convergence of k-NN density estimates

Let f_n(x) be the univariate k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) density estimate proposed by Loftsgaarden and Quesenberry (1965). By using similar techniques as in Bahadur's representation of sample quantiles (1966), and by the recent results on the oscillation of empirical processes by Stute (1982), we derive the rate of strong uniform convergence of f_n(x) on some suitably chosen interval J_δ. Some comparison with the kernel estimates is given, as well as the choice of the bandwidth sequence relative to the sample size.     

Adaptive estimation of error density in nonparametric regression with small sample size

It has been established recently in Efromovich [2005. Estimation of the density of regression errors. Ann. Statist. 33, 2194–2227] that, under a mild assumption, the error density in a nonparametric regression can be asymptotically estimated with the accuracy of an oracle that knows underlying regression errors. The asymptotic nature of the result, and in particular the used methodology of splitting data for estimating nuisance functions and the error density, does not make an asymptotic estimator, suggested in that article, feasible for practically interesting cases of small sample sizes. This article continues the research and solves two important issues. First, it shows that the asymptotic holds without splitting the data. Second, a data-driven estimator, based on the new asymptotic, is suggested and then tested on real and simulated examples.     

Invalidity of average squared error criterion in density estimation

The average squared error has been suggested earlier as an appropriate estimate of the integrated squared error, but an example is given which shows their ratio can tend to infinity. The results of a Monte Carlo study are also presented which suggest the average squared error can seriously underestimate the errors inherent in even the simplest density estimations.     

Estimation of Ordered Location Parameters: The Exponential Distribution

The problem of component wise estimation of ordered location parameters θ ₁ (θ ₁ ≤ θ ₂) of two independent exponential distributions is investigated. The scale parameters are assumed to be unequal but known. Independent random samples of unequal sample sizes are drawn from two populations and the estimators admissible among the mixed estimators of θ ₁ and θ ₂ are obtained. It is shown that the minimum risk estimators (MREs) of θ ₁ and θ ₂ without assuming θ ₁ ≤ θ ₂ are inadmissible when one does assume that θ ₁ ≤ θ ₂. The efficiencies of mixed estimators relative to MREs (without assuming θ ₁ ≤ θ ₂) are tabulated for equal sample sizes and equal scale parameters.     

A class of tests for testing ‘new is better than used’

A class of tests is proposed for testing H₀ F?(x) = e^?λx, λ > 0, x≥0 vs. H₁ F?(x + y) ≤ F?(x)F?(y), x, y≥0, with strict inequality for some x, y ≥ 0 (F = new is better than used). Efficiency comparisons of some tests within the class are made and a new test is proposed on the basis of these comparisons. Consistency and the asymptotic normality of the class of tests is proved under fairly broad conditions on the underlying entities.     

A Note on the Kuks-Olman Estimator

In the linear regression model the unknown parameter vector θ is supposed to vary in a known ellipsoid. Under this parameter constraint Kuks and Olman derived an estimator by demanding a minimax property. Since sometimes the Kuks-Olman estimator takes values outside of the ellipsoid a modification is proposed in the paper. It is shown that this modified variant is a least squares estimator in the restricted model.     

Almost sure central limit theorem for the maxima and sums of stationary Gaussian sequences

In this paper, we proved an almost sure central limit theorem for the maxima (after centered at the sample mean) and the partial sums of standardized stationary Gaussian sequences under some conditions related to the convergence rate of covariance functions, which extended the existing results.     

An application of the Bernoulli part to local limit theorems for moving averages on stationary sequences

We consider partial sums S_n of a general class of stationary sequences of integer-valued random variables, and we provide sufficient conditions for S_n to satisfy a local limit theorem. To prove this result, we introduce a concept called the Bernoulli part. The amount of Bernoulli part in S_n determines the extent to which the density of S_n is relatively flat. If in addition S_n satisfies a global central limit theorem, the local limit theorem follows.