Comparisons of coherent systems with non-identically distributed components

The signature-based mixture representations for coherent systems are a good way to obtain distribution-free comparisons of systems. Unfortunately, these representations only hold for systems whose component lifetimes are independent and identically distributed (IID) or exchangeable (i.e., their joint distribution is invariant under permutations). In this paper we obtain comparison results for generalized mixtures, that is, for reliability functions that can be written as linear combinations of some baseline reliability functions with positive and negative coefficients. These results are based on some concepts in Graph Theory. We apply these results to obtain new comparison results for coherent systems without the IID or exchangeability assumptions by using their generalized mixture representations based on the minimal path sets.     

On the relevance of finite sample distribution theory

The implications of finite sample distribution theory for applied econometrics are explored. In general, its relevance is limited by three considerations: (i) sampling errors are of secondary importance in practice, (ii) exact and approximate results depend on the unknown structural parameters of the problem, and (iii) results more accurate than the limiting distribution require further distributional assumptions about some unobservable. Despite these difficulties, some useful information simultaneous equations estimators are sketched.     

Performances of the Positive-Rule Stein-Type Ridge Estimator in a Linear Regression Model with Spherically Symmetric Error Distributions

In this article, the positive-rule Stein-type ridge estimator (PSRE) is introduced for the parameters in a multiple linear regression model with spherically symmetric error distributions when it is suspected that the parameter vector may be restricted to a linear manifold. The bias and quadratic risk functions of the PSRE are derived and compared with some related competing estimators in literatures. Particularly, some sufficient conditions are derived for superiority of the PSRE over the ordinary ridge estimator, the restricted ridge estimator and the preliminary test ridge estimator, respectively. Furthermore, some graphical results are provided to illustrate some of the theoretical results.     

Aspects of the mean residual life order for weighted distributions

In this paper, we first provide conditions for preservation of the mean residual life (mrl) order under weighting. Then we apply the obtained results to establish our results about preservation of the decreasing mrl class by weighted distributions. In addition, we present some results for comparing the original random variable to its weighted version in terms of the mrl order. Also, some examples are given to illustrate the results.     

Statistical Analysis of Parameter Estimation for 2-D Harmonics in Multiplicative and Additive Noise

This article considers the problem of parameter estimation for two dimensional (2-D) multi-component harmonics in non zero-mean multiplicative and additive noise. The least squares estimators (LSEs) are proposed to estimate the coherent model parameters, and some statistical results of the LSEs are obtained, including strong consistency, strong convergence rate, and asymptotic normality. Furthermore, the LSEs-based estimators are proposed to estimate the noncoherent model parameters, and the strong consistency and the asymptotic normality are also proved. Finally, some numerical experiments are performed to see how the asymptotic results work for finite sample sizes.     

The Superiorities of Empirical Bayes Estimation of Variance Components in Random Effects Model

In this article, the Bayes estimators of variance components are derived and the parametric empirical Bayes estimators (PEBE) for the balanced one-way classification random effects model are constructed. The superiorities of the PEBE over the analysis of variance (ANOVA) estimators are investigated under the mean square error (MSE) criterion, some simulation results for the PEBE are obtained. Finally, a remark for the main results is given.     

Use of estimated fractal dimension in model identification for time series

A fractal and its dimension has been a subject of great mathematical interest since the publication of Mandelbrot's manifestoes (1977, 1982). This paper discusses some empirical results indicating the potential usefulness of estimated fractal dimension in testing for white noise. These tests are applied for model identification in time series, and results for previously analyzed data are provided. A method for fractal interpolation of a continuous process from a finite number of observations is discussed, as well as some future research directions.     

Estimating systems of trending variables

A survey is given of some results on inference in cointegrated systems. We discuss some regression methods, and contrast them with the analysis of the vector autoregressive model. We discuss determination of cointegrating rank and estimation of parameters, as well as asymptotic inference. The problems are treated for 1(1) and for 1(2) variables.     

Estimating systems of trending variables

A survey is given of some results on inference in cointegrated systems. We discuss some regression methods, and contrast them with the analysis of the vector autoregressive model. We discuss determination of cointegrating rank and estimation of parameters, as well as asymptotic inference. The problems are treated for 1(1) and for 1(2) variables.     

Union-intersection rank tests for ordered alternatives in some simple linear models

The theory of locally most powerful rank tests and the union intersection principle are incorporated in the formulation of some distribution-free rank tests for ordered alternatives in some simple linear models (including the classical one-way layout as a special case). Some approximations for the null-hypothesis distributions of the test statistics ( for finite sample sizes) are considered, and the theory is supplemented by some numerical and simulation results.     

Ultrastructural elliptical models

Dolby's (1976) ultrastructural model with no replications is investigated within the class of the elliptical distributions. General asymptotic results are given for the sample covariance matrix S in the presence of incidental parameters. These results are used to study the asymptotic behaviour of some estimators of the slope parameter, unifying and extending existing results in the literature. In particular, under some regularity conditions they are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. For the special case of the structural model, some asymptotic relative efficiencies are also reported which show that generalized least squares and the method of moment estimators can be highly inefficient under nonnormality.     

On the estimates of the parameters of the first order autoregressive process

Two methods of estimation for the parameters of an AR(1) process which are based on a non-linear least-squares approach are presented. On the basis of some simulation results they are compared with two maximum likelihood estimates and their relative merits are discussed.     

On study of dynamic survival and cumulative past entropies

Abstract

Recently, a new class of measure of uncertainty, called “dynamic survival entropy”, has been defined and studied in the literature. Based on this entropy, DSE(α) ordering, IDSE(α), and DDSE(α) classes of life distributions are defined and some results are studied. In this paper, our main aim is to prove some more results of the ordering and the aging classes of life distributions mentioned above. Some important distributions such as exponential, Pareto, Pareto II, and finite range distributions are also characterized. Here we have defined cumulative past entropy and proved some interesting results.     

An alternative approach for analysis of performance of one-sided cusum charts with variable sampling intervals

An alternative approach for analyzing performance of one-sided Cusum charts with variable sampling intervals (VSI) is proposed. In this approach, a Markov chain with some dummy states is used. By this approach some dynamic performance measures of the VSI Cusum charts, such as the distribution of time to signal and the average time to signal against a change-point, can be determined. Some numerical results are shown, and from these results the dynamic performance of VSI Cusum charts is discussed.     

Study of redundancy of vector variables in canonical correlations

Fujikoshi (1982) obtained the necessary and sufficient conditions for the increased number of variables in the two sets of vectors not affecting the original nonzero canonical correlations and used these to obtain the likelihood ratio test procedure. He assumed a nonsingular covariance matrix due to random variables. Here, we study the same problem when the covariance matrix is singular and establish some further results. In this study, we note that the unit canonical correlations have to be separated in some of the situations. These results are valid for complex random vector variables and in some situations, the test for redundancy is given for complex random variables.     

Estimation of parameters of yamada et al. model and modification of the model

Yamada, Ohba and Osaki (1983) suggested an important NHPP model for software failure phenomenon. So far little work has been done on the problem of estimating its parameters. We present here some conditions for the likelihood estimates to be finite, positive and unique. We also suggest a modification of the model. The performance measures and statistical inferences of the modified model are discussed here. The modified model is applied to software failure data and the results are compared with Jelinski-Moranda [4] and some existing important NHPP models     

Estimating the Number of Change Points in Exponential Families Distributions

A simple method is proposed to detect the number of change points in a sequence of independent exponential family random variables. An estimator to maximize some criterion, say SC ( k ), which is to maximize the log- likelihood function with some penalty term, is used in detection. Under some mild assumptions, the consistency of the estimator for the true number of change points and the boundedness between the estimated change locations and the true change location are obtained. Some simulated results are given, and the Nile problem is investigated by this method.     

Rate of uniform consistency for nonparametric estimates with functional variables

In this paper we investigate nonparametric estimation of some functionals of the conditional distribution of a scalar response variable Y given a random variable X taking values in a semi-metric space. These functionals include the regression function, the conditional cumulative distribution, the conditional density and some other ones. The literature on nonparametric functional statistics is only concerning pointwise consistency results, and our main aim is to prove the uniform almost complete convergence (with rate) of the kernel estimators of these nonparametric models. Unlike in standard multivariate cases, the gap between pointwise and uniform results is not immediate. So, suitable topological considerations are needed, implying changes in the rates of convergence which are quantified by entropy considerations. These theoretical uniform consistency results are (or will be) key tools for many further developments in functional data analysis.     

The efficacy of the correlation dimension technique in detecting determinism in small samples

This paper presents the results of a simulation study investigating the efficacy of the correlation dimension technique in detecting the presence of deterministic structure in small data sets. The results show that for some very simple structures a mere 100 data points suffice; but for some slightly more complicated structures, which arguably are still simple relative to real-world structures, even 2500 data points are inadequate. These results suggest that substantial caution be used in interpreting negative results on empirical data.     

Accent on Teaching Materials: Notices and Reviews of Important Teaching Materials

In contrast to the analysis of variance of fully fixed or fully random component models, the analysis of variance of mixed models is fraught with potential pitfalls. It is fortunate that there are simple rules for the correct analysis of balanced data; in the case of unbalanced data there are no simple results. The potential pitfalls in the path of a correct analysis are well-known. Despite this, some computer packages still report incorrect results for the balanced model and some textbooks gloss over or ignore some of these pitfalls.