Statistical planning when the parameters in the model are of unequal importance

In this paper, we consider statistical planning of experiments when the parameters in the linear model assumed are divided into disjoint sets; the parameters in one set are more influential than the parameters in the other set and require more precise estimation. Me characterize the plans (or, designs) and discuss some symmetric designs which are easier to find.     

Empirical bayes estimation of functionals of unknown probability measures

The empirical Dayes approach to one and two sal-npie problcrns has beeir considered by Korwar and Hollander (1976), Holiander and Korwar (1976) and Phadia and Susarla (1979). In this article we essen- tially generalize their empirical Bayes results by replacing the inlicaro-functions of. the sets (?∞,x) and {X≦Y} by arbitrary mea5, irable functions h(x) and h(x,y). More speclfically, the ernpiricaion yes estimation of esrimabie paramerers of degree one ani KG,I;ti kliown probability measure Pon (R,R) is considered. The asymptotic optimality of the these estimators, obtaining the exact risk expressions, is established. Also the results of Dalal and Phad (1983) we extended to the estimation of an estimable parametric function of an unknow probability measure P on (R² , B²)     

Generalized modulus power transformations

Several power transformations proposed in the past are examined to find out the type of distributions that they can normalize, and a general family of transformations "the Generalized Modulus Power Transformation- (GEMPT), is proposed, The GEMPT will remove skewness and kurtosis and induce normality from a broad class of distributions, which we investigate, implying certain limitations for all power transformations. The use of GEMPT is illustrated and shown to iead to a better approximation to a normal distribution in an example in which the response is expected to follow a rectangular hyperbola.     

Relationships among moments of order statistics in samples from two related outlier models and some applications

Balakrishnan (1987a) has recently shown that the moments of order statistics in samples drawn from a continuous population with pdf f(x) symmetric about zero comprising a single outlier with pdf g(x) also symmetric about zero can be expressed in terms of the moments of order statistics in samples drawn from the population obtained by folding the pdf f(x) at zero and the moments of order statistics in samples drawn from the population obtained by folding the pdf f(x) at zero comprising a single outlier with pdf obtained by folding g(x) at zero. The cumulative round off error involved in the numerical evaluation of the moments of order statistics from the symmetric outlier model, using a table of the moments of order statistics from the folded population and the moments of order statistics from the folded outlier model, has also been studied by Balakrishnan (1987a) and shown to be not serious. Making use of these results we study here the robustness of some estimators of th location and scale parameters of a double exponential distribution.     

Posterior ranges of functions of parameters under priors with specified quantiles

Suppose some quantiles of the prior distribution of a nonnegative parameter θ are specified. Instead of eliciting just one prior density function, consider the class Γ of all the density functions compatible with the quantile specification. Given a likelihood function, find the posterior upper and lower bounds for the expected value of any real-valued function h(θ), as the density varies in Γ. Such a scheme agrees with a robust Bayesian viewpoint. Under mild regularity conditions about h(θ) and the likelihood, a procedure for finding bounds is derived and applied to an example, after transforming the given functional optimisation problems into finite-dimensional ones.     

Structural inference of the parameters of the heteroscedastic simultaneous equation model

The structural approach of inference for the parameters of a simultaneous equation model with heteroscedastic error variance is investigated in this paper. The joint and the marginal structural distributions for the coefficients of the exogenous variables and the scale parameters of the error variables, and the marginal likelihood function of the coefficients of the endogenous variables have been derived. The estimates are directly obtainable from the structural distribution and the marginal likelihood function of the parameters. The marginal distribution of a subset of coefficients of exogenous variables provides the basis for making inference for a particular subset of parameter of interest.     

Bayesian Inference in Multivariate Regression With Missing Observations on the Response Variables

We discuss the case of the multivariate linear model Y = XB + E with Y an (n × p) matrix, and so on, when there are missing observations in the Y matrix in a so-called nested pattern. We propose an analysis that arises by incorporating the predictive density of the missing observations in determining the posterior distribution of B, and its mean and variance matrix. This involves us with matric-T variables. The resulting analysis is illustrated with some Canadian economic data.