Sampled autocovariance and autocorrelation results for linear time processes

We derive an exact formula for the covariance between the sampled autocovariances at any two lags for a finite time series realisation from a general stationary autoregressive moving average process. We indicate, through one particular example, how this result can be used to deduce analogous formulae for any nonstationary model of the ARUMA class, a generalisation of the ARIMA models. Such formulae then allow us to obtain approximate expressions for the convariances between all pairs of serial correlations for finite realisations from the ARUMA model. We also note that, in the limit as the series length n → ∞, our results for the ARMA class retrieve those of Bartlett (1946). Finally, we investigate an improvement to the approximation that is obtained by applying Bartlett's general asymptotic formula to finite series realisations. That such an improvement should exist can immediately be seen by consideration of out results for the simplest case of a white noise process. However, we deduce the final improved approapproximation, for general models, in two ways - from (corrected) results due to Davies and Newbold (1980), and by an alternative approach to theirs.