Small-sample results for maximum-likelihood estimation in branching processes

In this article, small sample properties of the maximum-likelihood estimator (m.l.e.) for the offspring distribution (pk) and its mean m are considered in the context of the simple branching process. A representation theorem is given for the m.l.e. of (Pk) from which the m.l.e. of m is obtained. The case where p0 + p1 + p2 = 1 is studied in detail: numerical results are given for the exact bias of these estimators as a function of the age of the process; a curve fitting analysis expresses the bias of m? as a function of the mean and the variance of the offspring distribution and finally an “approximate m.l.e.” for (pk) is given.     

Note on the Cramér-Rao inequality in the nonregular case: the family of uniform distributions

We consider the family of uniform distributions with range of unit length. The main result of this note asserts that the average variance of any unbiased estimator of the midpoint of the range is not less than (2(n+1))(n+2))^-1 and this lower bound is sharp. The proof is based upon a nonregular version of the Cramér-Rao inequality.     

Inference about permutation parameter in large samples

The estimation problem of a permutation parameter on the basis of a random sample of increasing size is considered. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an estimator, asymptotically fully efficient for two different distributions families, is derived. We also study the application of this result to cyclic groups of order two and three.     

Empirical Bayes rules and Gaussian processes

In this paper we study empirical Bayes (e.B.) rules from a viewpoint which has not yet got any attention in the literature. Since an e.B. estimator can be seen as an estimate of an unknown function, namely the true Bayes estimator, it is natural to consider e.B. estimators as stochastic processes. In this paper we make a first attempt in the direction of this approach. For a certain class of e.B. estimators for the continuous one-parameter exponential family, we investigate the global behaviour on finite intervals. It is shown that the difference between the e.B. and the true Bayes estimator can be represented as a certain type of Gaussian process plus a remainder which is uniformly of smaller order. Several applications of this result are given.     

Empirical assessment of present value relations

This paper summarizes the literature on estimation and testing of present value relations. Twenty-four test statistics are illustrated and compared in a simulation experiment utilizing six different data generation models. The test statistics are calculated for actual Standard and Poor's 500 annual stock price and dividend data, and the results are interpreted in light of the Monte Carlo experiments.     

权衡视角下企业社会责任行为研究

文章从权衡视角探讨了企业社会责任行为的调整机制。经验证据表明：中国上市公司社会责任投资存在极强的理性,会在外部压力、公司特征与成本之间确定最优的社会责任投资,平均的调整周期为1.460 8,这与静态权衡预期一致;风险承受能力的差别导致朝目标值的调整速度存在差异,当企业的社会责任水平高偏于最优值时,呈现出较快的调整速度,而低偏于目标社会责任时,调整速度较慢,对应的调整半周期差异为0.432 0,这与动态权衡预期一致。因此,研究的直接启示是不仅需要政策压力迫使企业履行社会责任,更需要引导利益相关者更好地进行回应,从而使企业更有动力去践行社会责任。     

M-Estimators of Scale with Minimum Gross Errors Sensitivity

The median absolute deviation (MAD) is known to be the M-estimator of scale with minimum gross errors sensitivity (GES) when the error distribution is known to be symmetric and strongly unimodal. The problem considered here is to find the Fisher consistent M-estimator with minimum GES when the error distribution is symmetric but not necessarily unimodal. Under some general conditions, the score function χ corresponding to the minimizing M-estimator has the form χ(x) = ?1 when |x| < a; χ(x) = c when a < |x| < b; χ(x) = 1 when |x| > b. An example is given in which the M-estimator with minimum GES does not correspond to the MAD.     

Some Applications of the Rao Distance to Shrinkage Estimators

Bayesian statistics is concerned with how prior information influence inferences. This article studies this problem by comparing the value of the Rao distance between prior and posterior normal distributions. Particular cases include the linear Bayes estimator, the mixed estimator, and ridge-type estimators.     

Use of Spacings in the Estimation of Common Scale Parameter of Several Distributions

In this article, we consider the problem of best linear unbiased estimation and best linear invariant estimation of the common scale parameter of several distributions using spacing of the pooled sample of all observations of individual samples. We derived conditions for the non negativity of the scale estimator obtained by the above methods. Further, we obtained necessary and sufficient conditions for the derived estimators to be constant multiples of the pooled sample range.     

Estimating Quantiles of Normal Populations with a Common Mean

Suppose independent random samples are available from two normal populations with a common mean and unequal variances. Estimation of a quantile of the first population is considered with respect to the quadratic loss. Some new estimators for the quantile are proposed using some previously known estimators of a common mean. Inadmissibility results are proved for estimators which are equivariant under affine and location groups of transformations. Risk values of various estimators of a quantile are compared numerically using a detailed simulation study.