Dimension estimation in sufficient dimension reduction: A unifying approach

Sufficient Dimension Reduction (SDR) in regression comprises the estimation of the dimension of the smallest (central) dimension reduction subspace and its basis elements. For SDR methods based on a kernel matrix, such as SIR and SAVE, the dimension estimation is equivalent to the estimation of the rank of a random matrix which is the sample based estimate of the kernel. A test for the rank of a random matrix amounts to testing how many of its eigen or singular values are equal to zero. We propose two tests based on the smallest eigen or singular values of the estimated matrix: an asymptotic weighted chi-square test and a Wald-type asymptotic chi-square test. We also provide an asymptotic chi-square test for assessing whether elements of the left singular vectors of the random matrix are zero. These methods together constitute a unified approach for all SDR methods based on a kernel matrix that covers estimation of the central subspace and its dimension, as well as assessment of variable contribution to the lower-dimensional predictor projections with variable selection, a special case. A small power simulation study shows that the proposed and existing tests, specific to each SDR method, perform similarly with respect to power and achievement of the nominal level. Also, the importance of the choice of the number of slices as a tuning parameter is further exhibited.     

Semi-aligned rank tests

Summary The distribution-free test based on semi-aligned rankings for no treatment effects in a two-way layout, with unequal number of replications in each cell is considered. The asymptotic χ-square distribution of the test statistic under the null hypothesis is derived. The Pitman asymptotic relative efficiency of the test (i) based on semi-aligned rankings with respect to the test (ii) based on within-block rankings, is shown to be larger than one as the number of blocks tends to infinity. Also the asymptotic properties of linear rank statistics (i) and (ii) are investigated and the asymptotic relative efficiency of the test (i) with respect to the test (ii) is again shown to be larger than one.     

Affine-invariant aligned rank tests for the multivariate general linear model with VARMA errors

We develop optimal rank-based procedures for testing affine-invariant linear hypotheses on the parameters of a multivariate general linear model with elliptical VARMA errors. We propose a class of optimal procedures that are based either on residual (pseudo-)Mahalanobis signs and ranks, or on absolute interdirections and lift-interdirection ranks, i.e., on hyperplane-based signs and ranks. The Mahalanobis versions of these procedures are strictly affine-invariant, while the hyperplane-based ones are asymptotically affine-invariant. Both versions generalize the univariate signed rank procedures proposed by Hallin and Puri (J. Multivar. Anal. 50 (1994) 175), and are locally asymptotically most stringent under correctly specified radial densities. Their AREs with respect to Gaussian procedures are shown to be convex linear combinations of the AREs obtained in Hallin and Paindaveine (Ann. Statist. 30 (2002) 1103; Bernoulli 8 (2002) 787) for the pure location and purely serial models, respectively. The resulting test statistics are provided under closed form for several important particular cases, including multivariate Durbin-Watson tests, VARMA order identification tests, etc. The key technical result is a multivariate asymptotic linearity result proved in Hallin and Paindaveine (Asymptotic linearity of serial and nonserial multivariate signed rank statistics, submitted).     

On testing equality of pairwise rank correlations in a multivariate random vector

Spearman’s rank-correlation coefficient (also called Spearman’s rho) represents one of the best-known measures to quantify the degree of dependence between two random variables. As a copula-based dependence measure, it is invariant with respect to the distribution’s univariate marginal distribution functions. In this paper, we consider statistical tests for the hypothesis that all pairwise Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients in a multivariate random vector are equal. The tests are nonparametric and their asymptotic distributions are derived based on the asymptotic behavior of the empirical copula process. Only weak assumptions on the distribution function, such as continuity of the marginal distributions and continuous partial differentiability of the copula, are required for obtaining the results. A nonparametric bootstrap method is suggested for either estimating unknown parameters of the test statistics or for determining the associated critical values. We present a simulation study in order to investigate the power of the proposed tests. The results are compared to a classical parametric test for equal pairwise Pearson’s correlation coefficients in a multivariate random vector. The general setting also allows the derivation of a test for stochastic independence based on Spearman’s rho.     

Rank test for heteroscedastic functional data

In this paper, we consider (mid-)rank based inferences for testing hypotheses in a fully nonparametric marginal model for heteroscedastic functional data that contain a large number of within subject measurements from possibly only a limited number of subjects. The effects of several crossed factors and their interactions with time are considered. The results are obtained by establishing asymptotic equivalence between the rank statistics and their asymptotic rank transforms. The inference holds under the assumption ofα-mixing without moment assumptions. As a result, the proposed tests are applicable to data from heavy-tailed or skewed distributions, including both continuous and ordered categorical responses. Simulation results and a real application confirm that the (mid-)rank procedures provide both robustness and increased power over the methods based on original observations for non-normally distributed data.     

Asymptotically efficient two-sample rank tests for modal directions on spheres

A general class of optimal and distribution-free rank tests for the two-sample modal directions problem on (hyper-) spheres is proposed, along with an asymptotic distribution theory for such spherical rank tests. The asymptotic optimality of the spherical rank tests in terms of power-equivalence to the spherical likelihood ratio tests is studied, while the spherical Wilcoxon rank test, an important case for the class of spherical rank tests, is further investigated. A data set is reanalyzed and some errors made in previous studies are corrected. On the usual sphere, a lower bound on the asymptotic Pitman relative efficiency relative to Hotelling’s T²-type test is established, and a new distribution for which the spherical Wilcoxon rank test is optimal is also introduced.     

Nonparametric methods for unbalanced multivariate data and many factor levels

We propose different nonparametric tests for multivariate data and derive their asymptotic distribution for unbalanced designs in which the number of factor levels tends to infinity (large a, small n_i case). Quasi gratis, some new parametric multivariate tests suitable for the large a asymptotic case are also obtained. Finite sample performances are investigated and compared in a simulation study. The nonparametric tests are based on separate rankings for the different variables. In the presence of outliers, the proposed nonparametric methods have better power than their parametric counterparts. Application of the new tests is demonstrated using data from plant pathology.     

Nonparametric tests for conditional independence in two-way contingency tables

Testing for the independence between two categorical variables R and S forming a contingency table is a well-known problem: the classical chi-square and likelihood ratio tests are used. Suppose now that for each individual a set of p characteristics is also observed. Those explanatory variables, likely to be associated with R and S, can play a major role in their possible association, and it can therefore be interesting to test the independence between R and S conditionally on them. In this paper, we propose two nonparametric tests which generalise the chi-square and the likelihood ratio ideas to this case. The procedure is based on a kernel estimator of the conditional probabilities. The asymptotic law of the proposed test statistics under the conditional independence hypothesis is derived; the finite sample behaviour of the procedure is analysed through some Monte Carlo experiments and the approach is illustrated with a real data example.     

On a new multivariate two-sample test

In this paper we propose a new test for the multivariate two-sample problem. The test statistic is the difference of the sum of all the Euclidean interpoint distances between the random variables from the two different samples and one-half of the two corresponding sums of distances of the variables within the same sample. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic is derived using the projection method and shown to be the limit of the bootstrap distribution. A simulation study includes the comparison of univariate and multivariate normal distributions for location and dispersion alternatives. For normal location alternatives the new test is shown to have power similar to that of the t- and T²-Test.     

Kernel-based goodness-of-fit tests for copulas with fixed smoothing parameters

We study a test statistic based on the integrated squared difference between a kernel estimator of the copula density and a kernel smoothed estimator of the parametric copula density. We show for fixed smoothing parameters that the test is consistent and that the asymptotic properties are driven by a U-statistic of order 4 with degeneracy of order 1. For practical implementation we suggest to compute the critical values through a semiparametric bootstrap. Monte Carlo results show that the bootstrap procedure performs well in small samples. In particular, size and power are less sensitive to smoothing parameter choice than they are under the asymptotic approximation obtained for a vanishing bandwidth.     

Tests for independence in non-parametric heteroscedastic regression models

Consistent procedures are constructed for testing independence between the regressor and the error in non-parametric regression models. The tests are based on the Fourier formulation of independence, and utilize the joint and the marginal empirical characteristic functions of the regressor and of estimated residuals. The asymptotic null distribution as well as the behavior of the test statistic under alternatives is investigated. A simulation study compares bootstrap versions of the proposed tests to corresponding procedures utilizing the empirical distribution function.     

Who's afraid of reduced-rank parameterizations of multivariate models? Theory and example

Reduced-rank restrictions can add useful parsimony to coefficient matrices of multivariate models, but their use is limited by the daunting complexity of the methods and their theory. The present work takes the easy road, focusing on unifying themes and simplified methods. For Gaussian and non-Gaussian (GLM, GAM, mixed normal, etc.) multivariate models, the present work gives a unified, explicit theory for the general asymptotic (normal) distribution of maximum likelihood estimators (MLE). MLE can be complex and computationally hard, but we show a strong asymptotic equivalence between MLE and a relatively simple minimum (Mahalanobis) distance estimator. The latter method yields particularly simple tests of rank, and we describe its asymptotic behavior in detail. We also examine the method's performance in simulation and via analytical and empirical examples.     

Locally best rotation-invariant rank tests for modal location

For a general class of unipolar, rotationally symmetric distributions on the multi-dimensional unit spherical surface, a characterization of locally best rotation-invariant test statistics is exploited in the construction of locally best rotation-invariant rank tests for modal location. Allied statistical distributional problems are appraised, and in the light of these assessments, asymptotic relative efficiency of a class of rotation-invariant rank tests (with respect to some of their parametric counterparts) is studied. Finite sample permutational distributional perspectives are also appraised.     

Principal component decomposition of non-parametric tests

Summary Let denote an arbitrary non-parametric unbiased test for a Gaussian shift given by an infinite dimensional parameter space. Then it is shown that the curvature of its power function has a principal component decomposition based on a Hilbert-Schmidt operator. Thus every test has reasonable curvature only for a finite number of orthogonal directions of alternatives. As application the two-sided Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodnessof-fit test is treated. We obtain lower bounds for their local asymptotic relative efficiency. They converge to one as 0 for the directionh ₀(u)=sign(2u–1) of the gradient of the median test. These results are analogous to earlier results of Hájek and idák for one-sided Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests.     

A lack-of-fit test in Tobit errors-in-variables regression models

The problem of fitting a parametric model in Tobit errors-in-variables regression models is discussed in this paper. The proposed test is based on the supremum of the Khmaladze type transformation of a certain partial sum process of calibrated residuals. This framework covers the usual error-free Tobit model as a special case. The asymptotic null distribution of this transformed process is shown to be the same as that of a time transformed standard Brownian motion. Consistency against some fixed alternatives and asymptotic power under some local nonparametric alternatives of this test are also discussed. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed test.     

An asymptotic decomposition for multivariate distribution-free tests of independence

In the multivariate case, the empirical dependence function, defined as the empirical distribution function with reduced uniform margins on the unit interval, can be shown for an i.i.d. sequence to converge weakly in an asymptotic way to a limiting Gaussian process. The main result of this paper is that this limiting process can be canonically separated into a finite set of independent Gaussian processes, enabling one to test the existence of dependence relationships within each subset of coordinates independently (in an asymptotic way) of what occurs in the other subsets. As an application we derive the Karhunen-Loeve expansions of the corresponding processes and give the limiting distribution of the multivariate Cramer-Von Mises test of independence, generalizing results of Blum, Kiefer, Rosenblatt, and Dugué. Other extensions are mentioned, including a generalization of Kendall's τ.     

Nonparametric lack-of-fit tests for parametric mean-regression models with censored data

We developed two kernel smoothing based tests of a parametric mean-regression model against a nonparametric alternative when the response variable is right-censored. The new test statistics are inspired by the synthetic data and the weighted least squares approaches for estimating the parameters of a (non)linear regression model under censoring. The asymptotic critical values of our tests are given by the quantiles of the standard normal law. The tests are consistent against fixed alternatives, local Pitman alternatives and uniformly over alternatives in Hölder classes of functions of known regularity.     

On some nonparametric tests for profile analysis of several multivariate samples

For profile analysis of independent samples from several multivariate populations, a nonparametric analog of the hypothesis of parallelism of population profiles is formulated. A class of asymptotically distribution-free statistics is offered to test this hypothesis. These are based on generalized U statistics and are in some sense modifications of statistics offered previously by one of the authors for testing the homogeneity hypothesis. Consistency of these statistics is established for suitable alternatives and also asymptotic power is investigated.     

Rank estimation in reduced-rank regression

Reduced rank regression assumes that the coefficient matrix in a multivariate regression model is not of full rank. The unknown rank is traditionally estimated under the assumption of normal responses. We derive an asymptotic test for the rank that only requires the response vector have finite second moments. The test is extended to the nonconstant covariance case. Linear combinations of the components of the predictor vector that are estimated to be significant for modelling the responses are obtained.     

Near-exact distributions for the independence and sphericity likelihood ratio test statistics

In this paper we show how, based on a decomposition of the likelihood ratio test for sphericity into two independent tests and a suitably developed decomposition of the characteristic function of the logarithm of the likelihood ratio test statistic to test independence in a set of variates, we may obtain extremely well-fitting near-exact distributions for both test statistics. Since both test statistics have the distribution of the product of independent Beta random variables, it is possible to obtain near-exact distributions for both statistics in the form of Generalized Near-Integer Gamma distributions or mixtures of these distributions. For the independence test statistic, numerical studies and comparisons with asymptotic distributions proposed by other authors show the extremely high accuracy of the near-exact distributions developed as approximations to the exact distribution. Concerning the sphericity test statistic, comparisons with formerly developed near-exact distributions show the advantages of these new near-exact distributions.