AN EVALUATION OF NON-ITERATIVE METHODS FOR ESTIMATING THE LINEAR-BY-LINEAR PARAMETER OF ORDINAL LOG-LINEAR MODELS

Parameter estimation for association and log-linear models is an important aspect of the analysis of cross-classified categorical data. Classically, iterative procedures, including Newton's method and iterative scaling, have typically been used to calculate the maximum likelihood estimates of these parameters. An important special case occurs when the categorical variables are ordinal and this has received a considerable amount of attention for more than 20 years. This is because models for such cases involve the estimation of a parameter that quantifies the linear-by-linear association and is directly linked with the natural logarithm of the common odds ratio. The past five years has seen the development of non-iterative procedures for estimating the linear-by-linear parameter for ordinal log-linear models. Such procedures have been shown to lead to numerically equivalent estimates when compared with iterative, maximum likelihood estimates. Such procedures also enable the researcher to avoid some of the computational difficulties that commonly arise with iterative algorithms. This paper investigates and evaluates the performance of three non-iterative procedures for estimating this parameter by considering 14 contingency tables that have appeared in the statistical and allied literature. The estimation of the standard error of the association parameter is also considered.     

Alternative forms of fractional Brownian motion

It is pointed out that two contradictory definitions of fractional Brownian motion are well-established, one prevailing in the probabilistic literature, the other in the econometric literature. Each is associated with a different definition of nonstationary fractional time series, arising in functional limit theorems based on such series. These various definitions have occasionally led to some confusion. The paper discusses the definitions and attempts a clarification.     

Sensitivity of the fractional Bayes factor to prior distributions

The authors derive a measure of the sensitivity of the fractional Bayes factor, an index which is used to compare models when the priors for their respective parameters are improper, or when there is concern about robustness of the prior specification. They prove that in a large class of problems, this measure is a decreasing function of the fraction of the sample used to update the prior distribution before the models are compared.     

Lower bounds of various criteria in experimental designs

Criterion is essential for measuring the goodness of an experimental design. In this paper, lower bounds of various criteria in experimental designs will be reviewed according to methodology of their construction. The criteria include most well-known ones which are frequently used as benchmarks for orthogonal array, uniform design, supersaturated design and other types of designs. To derive the lower bounds of these criteria, five different approaches are explored. Some new results are given. Throughout the paper, some relationships among different types of lower bounds are also discussed.