Finite-sample inference with monotone incomplete multivariate normal data, II

We continue our recent work on inference with two-step, monotone incomplete data from a multivariate normal population with mean and covariance matrix . Under the assumption that is block-diagonal when partitioned according to the two-step pattern, we derive the distributions of the diagonal blocks of and of the estimated regression matrix, . We represent in terms of independent matrices; derive its exact distribution, thereby generalizing the Wishart distribution to the setting of monotone incomplete data; and obtain saddlepoint approximations for the distributions of and its partial Iwasawa coordinates. We prove the unbiasedness of a modified likelihood ratio criterion for testing , where is a given matrix, and obtain the null and non-null distributions of the test statistic. In testing , where and are given, we prove that the likelihood ratio criterion is unbiased and obtain its null and non-null distributions. For the sphericity test, , we obtain the null distribution of the likelihood ratio criterion. In testing we show that a modified locally most powerful invariant statistic has the same distribution as a Bartlett-Pillai-Nanda trace statistic in multivariate analysis of variance.     

Properties of cyclic subspace regression

Various properties of the regression vector produced by cyclic subspace regression with regard to the meancentered linear regression equation are put forth. In particular, the subspace associated with the creation of is shown to contain a basis that maximizes certain covariances with respect to , the orthogonal projection of onto a specific subspace of the range of X. This basis is constructed. Moreover, this paper shows how the maximum covariance values effect the . Several alternative representations of are also developed. These representations show that is a modified version of the l-factor principal components regression vector , with the modification occurring by a nonorthogonal projection. Additionally, these representations enable prediction properties associated with to be explicitly identified. Finally, methods for choosing factors are spelled out.     

On an additive decomposition of the BLUE in a multiple-partitioned linear model

Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the BLUE in a general multiple-partitioned linear model to be the sum of the BLUEs under the k small models , …, . Some consequences and further research topics are also given.     

The Stein phenomenon for monotone incomplete multivariate normal data

We establish the Stein phenomenon in the context of two-step, monotone incomplete data drawn from , a (p+q)-dimensional multivariate normal population with mean and covariance matrix . On the basis of data consisting of n observations on all p+q characteristics and an additional N−n observations on the last q characteristics, where all observations are mutually independent, denote by the maximum likelihood estimator of . We establish criteria which imply that shrinkage estimators of James-Stein type have lower risk than under Euclidean quadratic loss. Further, we show that the corresponding positive-part estimators have lower risk than their unrestricted counterparts, thereby rendering the latter estimators inadmissible. We derive results for the case in which is block-diagonal, the loss function is quadratic and non-spherical, and the shrinkage estimator is constructed by means of a nondecreasing, differentiable function of a quadratic form in . For the problem of shrinking to a vector whose components have a common value constructed from the data, we derive improved shrinkage estimators and again determine conditions under which the positive-part analogs have lower risk than their unrestricted counterparts.     

Uniformly minimum variance nonnegative quadratic unbiased estimation in a generalized growth curve model

Consider the generalized growth curve model subject to R(X_m)⊆?⊆R(X₁), where B_i are the matrices of unknown regression coefficients, and E=(ε₁,…,ε_s)^′ and are independent and identically distributed with the same first four moments as a random vector normally distributed with mean zero and covariance matrix Σ. We derive the necessary and sufficient conditions under which the uniformly minimum variance nonnegative quadratic unbiased estimator (UMVNNQUE) of the parametric function with C≥0 exists. The necessary and sufficient conditions for a nonnegative quadratic unbiased estimator with of to be the UMVNNQUE are obtained as well.     

Some equalities for estimations of variance components in a general linear model and its restricted and transformed models

For the unknown positive parameter σ² in a general linear model , the two commonly used estimations are the simple estimator (SE) and the minimum norm quadratic unbiased estimator (MINQUE). In this paper, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the equivalence of the SEs and MINQUEs of the variance component σ² in the original model ?, the restricted model , the transformed model , and the misspecified model .     

Sensitivity of GLS estimators in random effects models

This paper studies the sensitivity of random effects estimators in the one-way error component regression model. Maddala and Mount (1973) [6] give simulation evidence that in random effects models the properties of the feasible GLS estimator are not affected by the choice of the first-step estimator used for the covariance matrix. Taylor (1980) [8] gives a theoretical example of this effect. This paper provides a reason for this in terms of sensitivity. The properties of are transferred via an uncorrelated (and independent under normality) link, called sensitivity. The sensitivity statistic counteracts the improvement in . A Monte Carlo experiment illustrates the theoretical findings.     

Multivariate stress-strength reliability model and its evaluation for coherent structures

Consider a system which has n independent components (or subsystems) each consisting of m dependent elements. Let , i=1,2,…,n denote the random strength vector of the ith component, where denotes the random strength of the jth element of the ith component. The elements of the components are subjected to a common random stress over time. In this paper, we setup a multivariate stress-strength model based on the conditional ordering between s and and evaluate the reliability of coherent structures in this setup.     

On the layered nearest neighbour estimate, the bagged nearest neighbour estimate and the random forest method in regression and classification

Let be identically distributed random vectors in R^d, independently drawn according to some probability density. An observation is said to be a layered nearest neighbour (LNN) of a point if the hyperrectangle defined by and contains no other data points. We first establish consistency results on , the number of LNN of . Then, given a sample of independent identically distributed random vectors from R^d×R, one may estimate the regression function by the LNN estimate , defined as an average over the Y_i’s corresponding to those which are LNN of . Under mild conditions on r, we establish the consistency of towards 0 as n→∞, for almost all and all p≥1, and discuss the links between r_n and the random forest estimates of Breiman (2001) [8]. We finally show the universal consistency of the bagged (bootstrap-aggregated) nearest neighbour method for regression and classification.     

Strong convergence of the empirical distribution of eigenvalues of sample covariance matrices with a perturbation matrix

Let , where is a random symmetric matrix, a random symmetric matrix, and with being independent real random variables. Suppose that , and are independent. It is proved that the empirical spectral distribution of the eigenvalues of random symmetric matrices converges almost surely to a non-random distribution.     

Progressive Type II censored order statistics for multivariate observations

For a sequence of independent and identically distributed random vectors , i=1,2,…,n, we consider the conditional ordering of these random vectors with respect to the magnitudes of , where N is a p-variate continuous function defined on the support set of X₁ and satisfying certain regularity conditions. We also consider the Progressive Type II right censoring for multivariate observations using conditional ordering. The need for the conditional ordering of random vectors exists for example, in reliability analysis when a system has n independent components each consisting of p arbitrarily dependent and parallel connected elements. Let the vector of life lengths for the ith component of the system be , where denotes the life length of the jth element of the ith component. Then the first failure in the system occurs at time , and for this case . In this paper we introduce the conditionally ordered and Progressive Type II right-censored conditionally ordered statistics for multivariate observations and to study their distributional properties.     

Estimating the parametric component of nonlinear partial spline model

Consider a nonlinear partial spline model . This article studies the estimation problem of when g₀ is approximated by some graduating function. Some asymptotic results for are derived. In particular, it is shown that can be estimated with the usual parametric convergence rate without undersmoothing g₀.     

The Dirichlet Markov Ensemble

We equip the polytope of n×n Markov matrices with the normalized trace of the Lebesgue measure of Rⁿ². This probability space provides random Markov matrices, with i.i.d. rows following the Dirichlet distribution of mean (1/n,…,1/n). We show that if is such a random matrix, then the empirical distribution built from the singular values of tends as n→∞ to a Wigner quarter-circle distribution. Some computer simulations reveal striking asymptotic spectral properties of such random matrices, still waiting for a rigorous mathematical analysis. In particular, we believe that with probability one, the empirical distribution of the complex spectrum of tends as n→∞ to the uniform distribution on the unit disc of the complex plane, and that moreover, the spectral gap of is of order when n is large.