Strong law for the bootstrap

Let X₁, X₂, X₃, … be i.i.d. r.v. with E|X₁| < ∞, E X₁ = μ. Given a realization X = (X₁,X₂,…) and integers n and m, construct Y_n,i, i = 1, 2, …, m as i.i.d. r.v. with conditional distribution $\text{P}{}^1\text{(Y}{}_{\mathrm{n,i}}\text{= X}{}_{\mathrm{j}}\text{) =}\text{1}\text{n}$ for 1 ? j ? n. ($\text{P}{}^1$ denotes conditional distribution given X). Conditions relating the growth rate of m with n and the moments of X₁ are given to ensure the almost sure convergence of $\text{(}\text{1}\text{m}\text{)Σ}{}^{\mathrm{m}}{}_{\mathrm{i=1}}\text{Y}{}_{\mathrm{n,i}}$ toμ. This equation is of some relevance in the theory of Bootstrap as developed by Efron (1979) and Bickel and Freedman (1981).     

Canonical row-column-exchangeable arrays

Consider a standard row-column-exchangeable array X = (X_ij : i,j ≥ 1), i.e., X_ij = f(a, ξ_i, η_j, λ_ij) is a function of i.i.d. random variables. It is shown that there is a canonical version of X, X′, such that X′, and α′, ξ′₁, ξ′₂,…, η′₁, η′₂,…, are conditionally independent given ∩_{n ≥ 1}σ(X′_ij : max(i,j) ≥ n). This result is quite a bit simpler to prove than the analogous result for the original array X, which is due to Aldous.     

Asymptotic properties for estimates of nonparametric regression models based on negatively associated sequences

Consider the nonparametric regression model Y_ni=g(x_ni)+ε_ni for i=1,…,n, where g is unknown, x_ni are fixed design points, and ε_ni are negatively associated random errors. Nonparametric estimator g_n(x) of g(x) will be introduced and its asymptotic properties are studied. In particular, the pointwise and uniform convergence of g_n(x) and its asymptotic normality will be investigated. This extends the earlier work on independent random errors (e.g. see J. Multivariate Anal. 25(1) (1988) 100).     

Definition and characterization of multivariate negative binomial distribution

The probability generating function (pgf) of an n-variate negative binomial distribution is defined to be [β(s₁,…,s_n)]^?k where β is a polynomial of degree n being linear in each s_i and k > 0. This definition gives rise to two characterizations of negative binomial distributions. An n-variate linear exponential distribution with the probability function h(x₁,…,x_n)$\text{exp}\text{(}\text{Σ}{}_{\mathrm{i=1}}{}^{\mathrm{n}}\text{θ}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{x}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{)}\text{f(θ}{}_1\text{,…,θ}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{)}$ is negative binomial if and only if its univariate marginals are negative binomial. Let S_t, t = 1,…, m, be subsets of {s₁,…, s_n} with empty ∩_t=1^mS_t. Then an n-variate pgf is of a negative binomial if and only if for all s in S_t being fixed the function is of the form of the pgf of a negative binomial in other s's and this is true for all t.     

A characterization of the multivariate normal distribution

Let X_j (j = 1,…,n) be i.i.d. random variables, and let Y′ = (Y₁,…,Y_m) and X′ = (X₁,…,X_n) be independently distributed, and A = (a_jk) be an n × n random coefficient matrix with a_jk = a_jk(Y) for j, k = 1,…,n. Consider the equation U = AX, Kingman and Graybill [Ann. Math. Statist.41 (1970)] have shown U ～ N(O,I) if and only if X ～ N(O,I). provided that certain conditions defined in terms of the a_jk are satisfied. The task of this paper is to delete the identical assumption on X₁,…,X_n and then generalize the results to the vector case. Furthermore, the condition of independence on the random components within each vector is relaxed, and also the question raised by the above authors is answered.     

Robustness of A-optimal designs

Suppose that Y=(Y_i) is a normal random vector with mean Xb and covariance σ²I_n, where b is a p-dimensional vector (b_j),X=(X_ij) is an n×p matrix. A-optimal designs X are chosen from the traditional set D of A-optimal designs for ρ=0 such that X is still A-optimal in D when the components Y_i are dependent, i.e., for i≠i′, the covariance of Y_i,Y_i^′ is ρ with ρ≠0. Such designs depend on the sign of ρ. The general results are applied to X=(X_ij), where X_ij∈{-1,1}; this corresponds to a factorial design with -1,1 representing low level or high level respectively, or corresponds to a weighing design with -1,1 representing an object j with weight b_j being weighed on the left and right of a chemical balance respectively.     

Optimum designs when the observations are second-order processes

Let the process {Y(x,t) : t?T} be observable for each x in some compact set X. Assume that Y(x, t) = θ₀f₀(x)(t) + … + θ_kf_k(x)(t) + N(t) where f_i are continuous functions from X into the reproducing kernel Hilbert space H of the mean zero random process N. The optimum designs are characterized by an Elfving's theorem with $\text{R}$ the closed convex hull of the set {(φ, f(x))_H : 6φ 6_H ≤ 1, x?X}, where (·, ·)_H is the inner product on H. It is shown that if X is convex and f_i are linear the design points may be chosen from the extreme points of X. In some problems each linear functional c′θ can be optimally estimated by a design on one point x(c). These problems are completely characterized. An example is worked and some partial results on minimax designs are obtained.     

Maximizing the probability of correctly ordering random variables using linear predictors

Let (T₁, x₁), (T₂, x₂), …, (T_n, x_n) be a sample from a multivariate normal distribution where T_i are (unobservable) random variables and x_i are random vectors in R^k. If the sample is either independent and identically distributed or satisfies a multivariate components of variance model, then the probability of correctly ordering {T_i} is maximized by ranking according to the order of the best linear predictors {E(T_i|x_i)}. Furthermore, it orderings are chosen according to linear functions {b′x_i} then the conditional probability of correct order given (T_i = t₁; i = 1, …, n) is maximized when b′x_i is the best linear predictor. Examples are given to show that linear predictors may not be optimal and that using a linear combination other that the best linear predictor may give a greater probability of correctly ordering {T_i} if {(T_i, x_i)} are independent but not identically distributed, or if the distributions are not normal.     

A result on hypothesis testing for a multivariate normal distribution when some observations are missing

Let U_i = (X_i, Y_i), i = 1, 2,…, n, be a random sample from a bivariate normal distribution with mean μ = (μ_x, μ_y) and covariance matrix

. Let X_i, i = n + 1,…, N represent additional independent observations on the X population. Consider the hypothesis testing problem H₀ : μ = 0 vs. H₁ : μ ≠ 0. We prove that Hotelling's T² test, which uses (X_i, Y_i), i = 1, 2,…, n (and discards X_i, i = n + 1,…, N) is an admissible test. In addition, and from a practical point of view, the proof will enable us to identify the region of the parameter space where the T²-test cannot be beaten. A similar result is also proved for the problem of testing μ_x ? μ_y = 0. A Bayes test and other competitors which are similar tests are discussed.     

Adaptive confidence region for the direction in semiparametric regressions

In this paper we aim to construct adaptive confidence region for the direction of ξ in semiparametric models of the form Y=G(ξ^TX,ε) where G(⋅) is an unknown link function, ε is an independent error, and ξ is a p_n×1 vector. To recover the direction of ξ, we first propose an inverse regression approach regardless of the link function G(⋅); to construct a data-driven confidence region for the direction of ξ, we implement the empirical likelihood method. Unlike many existing literature, we need not estimate the link function G(⋅) or its derivative. When p_n remains fixed, the empirical likelihood ratio without bias correlation can be asymptotically standard chi-square. Moreover, the asymptotic normality of the empirical likelihood ratio holds true even when the dimension p_n follows the rate of p_n=o(n^1/4) where n is the sample size. Simulation studies are carried out to assess the performance of our proposal, and a real data set is analyzed for further illustration.     

A characterization of distributions of independent random vectors by the independence of transformed vectors

If W and Z are independent random vectors and Y₁, Y₂, …, Y_n are the result of a transformation satisfying certain general conditions then W and Z are distributed according to a certain class of densities if and only if for suitable q, (Y₁, …, Y_q) and (Y_q+1, …, Y_n) are independent.     

Weak consistency of least-squares estimators in linear models

Let Y_n, n≥1, be a sequence of integrable random variables with EY_n = x_n1β₁ + x_n2β₂ + … + x_npβ_p, where the x_ij's are known and β^T = (β₁, β₂,…, β_p) unknown. Let b_n be the least-squares estimator of β based on Y₁, Y₂,…, Y_n. Weak consistency of b_n, n≥1, has been considered in the literature under the assumption that each Y_n is square integrable. In this paper, we study weak consistency of b_n, n≥1, and associated rates of convergence under the minimal assumption that each Y_n is integrable.     

Characterizations and closure under convolution of two classes of multivariate life distributions

Let ?(η) be the class of positive random vectors $\text{T}$ for which min_1?i?nα_iT_i is IFRA (NBU) for all α_i > 0, i = 1,…,n where n is an arbitrary positive integer. Characterizations of the classes ? and η are obtained and utilized to show that η is closed under convolution and that ? is closed under convolution provided one of the two convoluted vectors has independent components.     

Characterization of a class of bivariate distribution functions

Let F_X,Y(x,y) be a bivariate distribution function and P_n(x), Q_m(y), n, m = 0, 1, 2,…, the orthonormal polynomials of the two marginal distributions F_X(x) and F_Y(y), respectively. Some necessary conditions are derived for the co-efficients c_n, n = 0, 1, 2,…, if the conditional expectation E[P_n(X) ∥ Y] = c_nQ_n(Y) holds for n = 0, 1, 2,…. Several examples are given to show the application of these necessary conditions.     

Spectra of Cayley graphs

By a result of L. Lovász, the determination of the spectrum of any graph with transitive automorphism group easily reduces to that of some Cayley graph.We derive an expression for the spectrum of the Cayley graph X(G,H) in terms of irreducible characters of the group G:

for any natural number t, where ξ_i is an irreducible character (over $\text{C}$), of degree n_i , and λ_i,1 ,…, λ_i,ni are eigenvalues of X(G, H), each one n_i times. (σn_i² = n = | G | is the total'number of eigenvalues.) Using this formula for t = 1,…, n_i one can obtain a polynomial of degree n_i whose roots are λ_i,1,…,λ_i,ni. The results are formulated for directed graphs with colored edges. We apply the results to dihedral groups and prove the existence of k nonisomorphic Cayley graphs of D_p with the same spectrum provided p > 64k, prime.     

Speed of convergence in nonparametric kernel estimation of a regression function and its derivatives

Summary The objective in nonparametric regression is to infer a functiong(x) and itspth order derivativesg ^(g)(x),p≧1 fixed, on the basis of a finite collection of pairs {x _i, g(x_i)+Z _i} _i=1 ⁿ , where the noise componentsZ _i satisfy certain modest assumptions and the domain pointsx _i are selected non-randomly. This paper exhibits a new class of kernel estimatesg _n ^(p) ,p≧0 fixed. The main theoretical results of this study are the rates of convergence obtained for mean square and strong consistency ofg _n ^(p) each of them being uniform on the (0,1).     

ON THE UNIFORM CONSISTENCY OF THEKAPLAN-MEIER ESTIMATOR UNDER HEAVY CENSORING

Let X,i.i.d. and Y1i. i.d. be two sequences of random variables with unknown distribution functions F(x) and G(y) respectively. X, are censored by Y1. In this paper we study the uniform consistency of the Kaplan-Meier estimator under the case ey=sup(t:F(t)＜1)＞to=sup(t2G(t)＜1) The sufficient condition is discussed.     

Optimal stopping for extremal processes

For an extremal process (Z_t)_t the optimal stopping problem for X_t = f(Z_t)?g(t) gives the continuous time analogue of the optimal stopping problem for max{Y₁,…,Y_k}?c_k where Y₁, Y₂,… are i.i.d. For the continuous time problem we derive optimal stopping times in explicit form and also show that the optimal stopping boundary is the limit of the optimal stopping boundaries for suitably standardized discrete problems.     

A general approach to optimal control of a regression experiment

Let $\text{θ}\text{θ}\text{?}$ = ($\text{θ}\text{θ}\text{?}$₁, $\text{θ}\text{θ}\text{?}$₂, …, $\text{θ}\text{θ}\text{?}$_n)′ be the least-squares estimator of θ = (θ₁, θ₂, …, θ_n)′ by the realization of the process y(t) = Σ_{k = 1}ⁿθ_kf_k(t) + ξ(t) on the interval T = [a, b] with f = (f₁, f₂, …, f_n)′ belonging to a certain set X. The process satisfies E(ξ(t))≡0 and has known continuous covariance r(s, t) = E(ξ(s)ξ(t)) on T × T. In this paper, A-, D-, and D_s-optimality are used as criteria for choosing f in X. A-, D-, and D_s-optimal models can be constructed explicitly by means of r.     

Permanence and Positive Periodic Solutions for Kolmogorov Competing Species Systems

We prove the existence of periodic solutions in a compact attractor of (R⁺)ⁿ for the Kolmogorov system x′_i = x_if_i(t, x₁, …, x_n), i = l, …, n in the competitive case. Extension to differential delay equations are con- sidered too. Applications are given to Lotka-Volterra systems with periodic coefficients.