Transient Analysis of Large Markov Models with Absorbing States Using Regenerative Randomization

ABSTRACT

In this article, we develop a new method, called regenerative randomization, for the transient analysis of continuous time Markov models with absorbing states. The method has the same good properties as standard randomization: numerical stability, well-controlled computation error, and ability to specify the computation error in advance. The method has a benign behavior for large t and is significantly less costly than standard randomization for large enough models and large enough t. For a class of models, class C, including typical failure/repair reliability models with exponential failure and repair time distributions and repair in every state with failed components, stronger theoretical results are available assessing the efficiency of the method in terms of “visible” model characteristics. A large example belonging to that class is used to illustrate the performance of the method and to show that it can indeed be much faster than standard randomization.     

News

U. S. National Income Series Revised—Congress Votes No on Censuses of Business and Manufactures—Britain Revises Living Cost Index-U. S. and U. K. Surveys Uncover Lacks in Statistical Training-Forthcoming Statistical Conferences     

Accent on Teaching Materials

Estimation of covariance components in the multivariate random-effect model with nested covariance structure is discussed. There are two covariance matrices to be estimated, namely, the between-group and the within-group covariance matrices. These two covariance matrices are most often estimated by forming a multivariate analysis of variance and equating mean square matrices to their expectations. Such a procedure involves taking the difference between the between-group mean square and the within-group mean square matrices, and often produces an estimated between-group covariance matrix that is not nonnegative definite. We present estimators of the two covariance matrices that are always proper covariance matrices. The estimators are the restricted maximum likelihood estimators if the random effects are normally distributed. The estimation procedure is extended to more complicated models, including the twofold nested and the mixed-effect models. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the use of the estimation procedure.     

The Consistent System

The Consistent System (CS) is an interactive computer system for researchers in the behavioral and policy sciences and in fields with similar requirements for data management and statistical analysis. The researcher is not expected to be a programmer. The system offers a wide range of facilities and permits the user to combine them in novel ways. In particular, tools for statistical analysis may be used in combination with a powerful relational subsystem for data base management. This paper gives an overview of the objectives, capabilities, status, and availability of the system.     

Statistical Computing: History and Trends

The evolution of computers is currently in a period of rapid change, stimulated by radically cheaper and smaller devices for processing and memory. These changes are certain to provide major opportunities and challenges for the use of computers in statistics. This article looks at history and current trends, in both general computing and statistical computing, with the goal of identifying key features and requirements for the near future. A discussion of the S language developed at Bell Laboratories illustrates some program design principles that can make future work on statistical programs more effective and more valuable.     

Some Applications of Order Statistics to Multivariate Analysis II

ABSTRACT

Harter (1979) summarized applications of order statistics to multivariate analysis up through 1949. The present paper covers the period 1950–1959. References in the two papers were selected from the first and second volumes, respectively, of the author's chronological annotated bibliography on order statistics [Harter (1978, 1983)]. Tintner (1950a) established formal relations between four special types of multivariate analysis: (1) canonical correlation, (2) principal components, (3) weighted regression, and (4) discriminant analysis, all of which depend on ordered roots of determinantal equations. During the decade 1950–1959, numerous authors contributed to distribution theory and/or computational methods for ordered roots and their applications to multivariate analysis. Test criteria for (i) multivariate analysis of variance, (ii) comparison of variance–covariance matrices, and (iii) multiple independence of groups of variates when the parent population is multivariate normal were usually derived from the likelihood ratio principle until S. N. Roy (1953) formulated the union–intersection principles on which Roy & Bose (1953) based their simultaneous test and confidence procedure. Roy & Bargmann (1958) used an alternative procedure, called the step–down procedure, in deriving a test for problem (iii), and J. Roy (1958) applied the step–down procedure to problem (i) and (ii), Various authors developed and applied distribution theory for several multivariate distributions. Advances were also made on multivariate tolerance regions [Fraser & Wormleighton (1951), Fraser (1951, 1953), Fraser & Guttman (1956), Kemperman (1956), and Somerville (1958)], a criterion for rejection of multivariate outliers [Kudô (1957)], and linear estimators, from censored samples, of parameters of multivariate normal populations [Watterson (1958, 1959)]. Textbooks on multivariate analysis were published by Kendall (1957) and Anderson (1958), as well as a monograph by Roy (1957) and a book of tables by Pillai (1957).     

The Scale Invariant Wigner Spectrum Estimation of Gaussian Locally Self-Similar Processes

We study locally self-similar processes (LSSPs) in Silverman’s sense. By deriving the minimum mean-square optimal kernel within Cohen’s class counterpart of time–frequency representations, we obtain an optimal estimation for the scale invariant Wigner spectrum (SIWS) of Gaussian LSSPs. The class of estimators is completely characterized in terms of kernels, so the optimal kernel minimizes the mean-square error of the estimation. We obtain the SIWS estimation for two cases: global and local, where in the local case, the kernel is allowed to vary with time and frequency. We also introduce two generalizations of LSSPs: the locally self-similar chirp process and the multicomponent LSSP, and obtain their optimal kernels. Finally, the performance and accuracy of the estimation is studied via simulation.     

Empirical Analysis of Interval-Censored Failure Time Data with Linear Transformation Models

Interval-censored data naturally arise in many studies. For their regression analysis, many approaches have been proposed under various models and for most of them, the inference is carried out based on the asymptotic normality. In particular, Zhang et al. (2005) discussed the procedure under the linear transformation model. It is well-known that the symmetric property implied by the normal distribution may not be appropriate sometimes. Also the method could underestimate the variance of estimated parameters. This paper proposes an empirical likelihood-based procedure for the problem. Simulation and the analysis of a real data set are conducted to assess the performance of the procedure.     

A model with long-term survivors: negative binomial Birnbaum-Saunders

Abstract

We propose a cure rate survival model by assuming that the number of competing causes of the event of interest follows the negative binomial distribution and the time to the event of interest has the Birnbaum-Saunders distribution. Further, the new model includes as special cases some well-known cure rate models published recently. We consider a frequentist analysis for parameter estimation of the negative binomial Birnbaum-Saunders model with cure rate. Then, we derive the appropriate matrices for assessing local influence on the parameter estimates under different perturbation schemes. We illustrate the usefulness of the proposed model in the analysis of a real data set from the medical area.     

Penalized inverse probability weighted estimators for weighted rank regression with missing covariates

Abstract

In this article, we study the variable selection and estimation for linear regression models with missing covariates. The proposed estimation method is almost as efficient as the popular least-squares-based estimation method for normal random errors and empirically shown to be much more efficient and robust with respect to heavy tailed errors or outliers in the responses and covariates. To achieve sparsity, a variable selection procedure based on SCAD is proposed to conduct estimation and variable selection simultaneously. The procedure is shown to possess the oracle property. To deal with the covariates missing, we consider the inverse probability weighted estimators for the linear model when the selection probability is known or unknown. It is shown that the estimator by using estimated selection probability has a smaller asymptotic variance than that with true selection probability, thus is more efficient. Therefore, the important Horvitz-Thompson property is verified for penalized rank estimator with the covariates missing in the linear model. Some numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the performance of the estimators.