On the UMVU estimator for the generalized variance of the multinomial family

Abstract

The generalized variance is an important statistical indicator which appears in a number of statistical topics. It is a successful measure for multivariate data concentration. In this article, we established, in a closed form, the bias of the generalized variance maximum likelihood estimator of the Multinomial family. We also derived, with a complete proof, the uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator (UMVU) for the generalized variance of this family. These results rely on explicit calculations, the completeness of the exponential family and the Lehmann–Scheffé theorem.     

Pooled estimators for the shape parameter of the three parameter gamma distribution

The aim of the paper is to study the pooled estimator of the shape parameter of the three parameter gamma distribution when k independent samples are available. Sufficient conditions for the existence of the pooled estimator are given and the small as well as the large sample properties are studied. The harmonic mean of the k estimators of the independent samples is proposed in the place of the pooled estimator, in the case in which the latter does not exist.     

Estimation of the parameters of a truncated gamma distribution

This paper deals with the estimation of the parameters of a truncated gamma distribution over (0,τ), where τ is assumed to be a real number. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of the maximum likelihood estimator(MLE). The probability of nonexistence of MLE is observed to be positive. A simulation study indicates that the modified maximum likelihood estimator and the mixed estimator, which exist with probability one,are to be preferred over MLE. The bias, the mean square error, and the probability of nearness form a basis of our simulation study.     

The exact confidence interval for the scale parameter and the mvue of the laplace distribution

The exact distribution of the sample median, and of the maximum likelihood estimator of the scale parameter of the Laplace distribution is derived. Tables of Teans, variances and the distribution functions of the corresponding dislributions are evaluacted. Exact ,solutions to the problem of confidence interval and hypothesrs testing for the scale paramrter are provided. The minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE) of the p.d.f. of the Laplace distribution when the location parameter is known is also given.     

Second order efficiency of the ban-estimators for the multinomial family

Rao (1961, 1963) introduced a measure of second order efficiency (s.o.e.) of a best asymptotically normal (BAN) estimator and obtained the s.o.e's of some well known estimators of the parameter of the multinomial family. Koorts (1985) dealt with a calss of BAN estimators and derived the s.o.e, of the estimator belonging to this class. In this paper we derive a general expressiion for the s.o.e. of a BAN estiimator based on its estimating equation.     

On second-order improved estimation of a gamma scale parameter

This paper concludes our comprehensive study on point estimation of model parameters of a gamma distribution from a second-order decision theoretic point of view. It should be noted that efficient estimation of gamma model parameters for samples ‘not large’ is a challenging task since the exact sampling distributions of the maximum likelihood estimators and its variants are not known. Estimation of a gamma scale parameter has received less attention from the earlier researchers compared to shape parameter estimation. What we have observed here is that improved estimation of the shape parameter does not necessarily lead to improved scale estimation if a natural moment condition (which is also the maximum likelihood restriction) is satisfied. Therefore, this work deals with the gamma scale parameter estimation as a separate new problem, not as a by-product of the shape parameter estimation, and studies several estimators in terms of second-order risk.     

The efficiency of a test based on the asymptotic distribution of the mle for a linear functional relationship

A rigorous derivation is given of the asymptotic normality of the MLE of a linear functional relationship. Using these results, it is shown that the test proposed by VILLEGAS (1964) has Pitman efficiency zero w.r.t, a test based on the asymptotic distribution of the MLE.     

Inadmissibility of the uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator of the inverse gaussian variance

The uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator (UMVUE) of the variance of the inverse Gaussian distribution is shown to be inadmissible in terms of the mean squared error, and a dominating estimator is given. A dominating estimator to the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the variance and estimators dominating the MLE's and the UMVUE's of other parameters are also given.     

Estimation of the parameters in a truncated normal distribution

This paper deals with the estimation of the parameters of doubly truncated and singly truncated normal distributions when truncation points are known. We derive, for these families, a necessary and sufficient condition for the maximum likelihood estimator(MLE) to be finite. Furthermore, the probability of the MLE being infinite is positive. A simulation study for single truncation is carried out to compare the modified maximum likelihood estimator, and the mixed estimator.     

Humerical. Results concerning the mle of an exponential parameter used in life testing

It was previously shown that the maximum likelihood estimator 0 of the scale parameter of the exponential distribution is asymptotically normal for type-I censoring. Applicability of the asymptotic normality results for finite samples is studied here by computer simulation for several different normalizing factors and for various levels of censoring. The use of the asymptotic results in statistical problems is illustrated by an example     

The essentially complete class of rules in multinomial identification

The problem of identification within two groups is considered, when the space 𝔛 of the possible values of the observed random variable X is finite. Using an essentially complete class of tests hypothesis ξ=0 (ξis real) for the multivariate exponential family, an essentially complete class of sample-based identification rules has been found. Comparison of the rules to those derived from density estimators has shown that the latter constitute a subclass of the former.     

Estimating the parameters of a doubly truncated normal distribution

This paper deals with the maximum likelihood estimation of parameters for a doubly truncated normal distribution when the truncation points are known. We prove, in this case, that the MLEs are nonexistent (become infinite) with positive probability. For estimators that exist with probability one, the class of Bayes modal estimators or modified maximum likelihood estimators is explored. Another useful estimating procedure, called mixed estimation, is proposed. Simulations compare the behavior of the MLEs, the modified MLEs, and the mixed estimators which reveal that the MLE, in addition to being nonexistent with positive probability, behaves poorly near the upper boundary of the interval of its existence. The modified MLEs and the mixed estimators are seen to be remarkably better than the MLE     

The global minimum variance unbiased estimator of the parameter for a truncated parameter family under the optimal ranked set sampling

The minimum variance unbiased estimators (MVUEs) of the parameters for various distributions are extensively studied under ranked set sampling (RSS). However, the results in existing literatures are only locally MVUEs, i.e. the MVUE in a class of some unbiased estimators is obtained. In this paper, the global MVUE of the parameter in a truncated parameter family is obtained, that is to say, it is the MVUE in the class of all unbiased estimators. Firstly we find the optimal RSS according to the character of a truncated parameter family, i.e. arrange RSS based on complete and sufficient statistics of independent and identically distributed samples. Then under this RSS, the global MVUE of the parameter in a truncated parameter family is found. Numerical simulations for some usual distributions in this family fully support the result from the above two-step optimizations. A real data set is used for illustration.     

Maximum likelihood estimation for the negative multinomial log-linear model

A log-linear model is defined for multiway contingency tables with negative multinomial frequency counts. The maximum likelihood estimator of the model parameters and the estimator covariance matrix is given. The likelihood ratio test for the general log-linear hypothesis also is presented.     

On second-order admissibilities of the estimators of gamma shape vector

Simultaneous estimation problem of gamma shape vector is considered.First, it is shown that the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE), the bias corrected MLE, and the conditional MLE of shape vector are second-order inadmissible. Second, these estimators are improved up to the second order. Finally, we identify whether these improved estimators are second-order admissible or not. Simulation studies are also given.     

Confidence intervals for the mean of a normal distribution with restricted parameter space

For a normal distribution with known variance, the standard confidence interval of the location parameter is derived from the classical Neyman procedure. When the parameter space is known to be restricted, the standard confidence interval is arguably unsatisfactory. Recent articles have addressed this problem and proposed confidence intervals for the mean of a normal distribution where the parameter space is not less than zero. In this article, we propose a new confidence interval, rp interval, and derive the Bayesian credible interval and likelihood ratio interval for general restricted parameter space. We compare these intervals with the standard interval and the minimax interval. Simulation studies are undertaken to assess the performances of these confidence intervals.     

Exact confidence intervals for the shape parameter of the gamma distribution

In this paper exact confidence intervals (CIs) for the shape parameter of the gamma distribution are constructed using the method of Bølviken and Skovlund [Confidence intervals from Monte Carlo tests. J Amer Statist Assoc. 1996;91:1071–1078]. The CIs which are based on the maximum likelihood estimator or the moment estimator are compared to bootstrap CIs via a simulation study.