ON ENTROPY BASED TESTS FOR EXPONENTIALITY

ABSTRACT

Recent literature has proposed a test for exponentiality based on sample entropy. We consider transformations of the observations which turn the test of exponentiality into one of uniformity and use a corresponding test based on entropy. The test based on the transformed variables performs better in many cases of interest.     

A Further Study on Reliable Life Estimation under Ranked Set Sampling

This article considers nonparametric estimation of reliable life based on ranked set sampling and its properties. It is proven analytically that the large sample efficiency of the reliable life estimator under the balanced ranked set sampling is higher than that under the simple random sampling of the same size, but the relative efficiency damps away as the reliable life moves away from the median on both directions. To improve the efficiency for the estimation of extreme reliable life, we then propose a reliable life estimator under a modified ranked set sampling protocol, its strong consistency and asymptotic normality are established. The proposed sampling is shown to be superior to the balanced ranked set sampling, and the relative advantage improves as the reliable life moves away from median. Finally, results of simulation studies for small sample as well as an application to a real data set are presented to illustrate some of the theoretical findings.     

Two-stage generalized moment method approach for bidimensional random coefficient autoregressive models

ABSTRACT

A two-dimensionally indexed random coefficients autoregressive models (2D ? RCAR) and the corresponding statistical inference are important tools for the analysis of spatial lattice data. The study of such models is motivated by their second-order properties that are similar to those of 2D ? (G)ARCH which play an important role in spatial econometrics. In this article, we study the asymptotic properties of two-stage generalized moment method (2S ? GMM) under general asymptotic framework for 2D ? RCA models. So, the efficiency, strong consistency, the asymptotic normality, and hypothesis tests of 2S ? GMM estimation are derived. A simulation experiment is presented to highlight the theoretical results.     

CHARACTERIZATIONS OF SHIFT-INVARIANT DISTRIBUTIONS BASED ON SUMMATION MODULO ONE

Let X₁Y_1,…, Y_n be independent random variables. We characterize the distributions of X and Y_j satisfying the equation {X+Y₁++Y_n}=_dX, where {Z} denotes the fractional part of a random variable Z. In the case of full generality, either X is uniformly distributed on [0,1), or Y_j has.a shifted lattice distribution and X is shift-invariant. We also give a characterization of shift-invariant distributions. Finally, we consider some special cases of this equation.     

ON THE EVALUATION OF CONTROL CHART LIMITS BASED ON PREDICTIVE DISTRIBUTIONS

ABSTRACT

We propose a Bayesian approach to obtaining control charts when there is parameter uncertainty. Our approach consists of two stages, (i) construction of the control chart where we use a predictive distribution based on a Bayesian approach to derive the rejection region, and (ii) evaluation of the control chart where we use a sampling theory approach to examine the performance of the control chart under various hypothetical specifications for the data generation model.     

A NOTE ON ASYMPTOTIC POSTERIOR NORMALITY FOR STOCHASTIC PROCESSES

In a recent paper, Sweeting & Adekola (1987) presented a fairly general set of conditions for asymptotic posterior normality which covers a wide class of problems. In this paper we present an example of an explosive autoregressive model where our condition A4 does not hold.     

PREDICTION FOR EXPONENTIAL LIFETIMES BASED ON STEP-STRESS TESTING

ABSTRACT

This paper presents methods for constructing prediction limits for a step-stress model in accelerated life testing. An exponential life distribution with a mean that is a log-linear function of stress, and a cumulative exposure model are assumed. Two prediction problems are discussed. One concerns the prediction of the life at a design stress, and the other concerns the prediction of a future life during the step-stress testing. Both predictions require the knowledge of some model parameters. When estimates for the model parameters are available, a calibration method based on simulations is proposed for correcting the prediction intervals (regions) obtained by treating the parameter estimates as the true parameter values. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the prediction procedure.     

ASYMPTOTIC DISTRIBUTIONS OF MATCHED-PARIS PERMUTATIO STATISTICS BASED ON DISTANCE MEASURES

A technique for deriving asymptotic distributions of matched-pairs permutation statistics based on distance measures is discussed and applied to four specific examples recently considered by Mielke & Berry (1982).     

CHARACTERISATIONS OF SOME INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS BASED ON MULTIPLICATIVE DAMAGE MODELS

This paper characterises the Pareto and scaled beta distributions within the context of multiplicative damage and generating models. The results obtained allow the destructive or generating mechanism to have more general distributions on (0,1) than the beta(e, l) distribution considered by several authors, thus generalising some recent results. Errors in earlier work are mentioned.     

A CONSISTENT MODEL SPECIFICATION TEST BASED ON THE KERNEL SUM OF SQUARES OF RESIDUALS

This paper constructs a consistent model specification test based on the difference between the nonparametric kernel sum of squares of residuals and the sum of squares of residuals from a parametric null model. We establish the asymptotic normality of the proposed test statistic under the null hypothesis of correct parametric specification and show that the wild bootstrap method can be used to approximate the null distribution of the test statistic. Results from a small simulation study are reported to examine the finite sample performance of the proposed tests.     

PARAMETER ESTIMATION BASED ON GROUPED OR CONTINUOUS DATA FOR TRUNCATED EXPONENTIAL DISTRIBUTIONS

ABSTRACT

Parameter estimation based on truncated data is dealt with; the data are assumed to obey truncated exponential distributions with a variety of truncation time—a ₁ data are obtained by truncation time b ₁, a ₂ data are obtained by truncation time b ₂ and so on, whereas the underlying distribution is the same exponential one. The purpose of the present paper is to give existence conditions of the maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) and to show some properties of the MLEs in two cases: 1) the grouped and truncated data are given (that is, the data each express the number of the data value falling in a corresponding subinterval), 2) the continuous and truncated data are given.     

DISTRIBUTION-FREE TESTS BASED ON SUB-SAMPLE EXTREMA FOR TESTING AGAINST POSITIVE DEPENDENCE

A class of distribution-free tests based on U-statistics has been proposed for testing the null hypothesis of independence against positive quadrant dependence. The tests are based on U-statistics and the Kendall's-tau test belongs to this class.     

CONDITIONAL INFERENCE PROCEDURES FOR THE PARETO AND POWER FUNCTION DISTRIBUTIONS BASED ON TYPE-II RIGHT CENSORED SAMPLES

In this paper we consider conditional inference procedures for the Pareto and power function distributions. We develop procedures for obtaining confidence intervals for the location and scale parameters as well as upper and lower n probability tolerance intervals for a proportion g, given a Type-II right censored sample from the corresponding distribution. The intervals are exact, and are obtained by conditioning on the observed values of the ancillary statistics. Since, for each distribution, the procedures assume that a shape parameter x is known, a sensitivity analysis is also carried out to see how the procedures are affected by changes in x.     

ON SOME OPTIMALITY PROPERTIES OF FISHER-RAO SCORE FUNCTION IN TESTING AND ESTIMATION

The score function is associated with some optimality features in statistical inference. This review article looks on the central role of the score in testing and estimation. The maximization of the power in testing and the quest for efficiency in estimation lead to score as a guiding principle. In hypothesis testing, the locally most powerful test statistic is the score test or a transformation of it. In estimation, the optimal estimating function is the score. The same link can be made in the case of nuisance parameters: the optimal test function should have maximum correlation with the score of the parameter of primary interest. We complement this result by showing that the same criterion should be satisfied in the estimation problem as well.     

BAHADUR SLOPES FOR COMPARISONS OF TESTS BASED ON RESAMPLING

Let X₁,…, X_n be random variables symmetric about θ from a common unknown distribution F_θ(x) =F(x–θ). To test the null hypothesis H₀:θ= 0 against the alternative H₁:θ > 0, permutation tests can be used at the cost of computational difficulties. This paper investigates alternative tests that are computationally simpler, notably some bootstrap tests which are compared with permutation tests. Of these the symmetrical bootstrap-f test competes very favourably with the permutation test in terms of Bahadur asymptotic efficiency, so it is a very attractive alternative.