The level probabilities for a simple loop ordering

Bartholomew's statistics for testing homogeneity of normal means with ordered alternatives have null distributions which are mixtures of chisquared or beta distributions depending on whether the variances are known or not. The mixing coefficients depend on the sample sizes and the order restriction. If a researcher knows which mean is smallest and which is largest, but does not know how the other means are ordered, then a loop ordering is appropriate. Exact expressions for the mixing coefficients for a loop ordering and arbitrary sample sizes are given for five or fewer populations and approximations are developed for more than five populations. Also, the mixing coefficients for a loop ordering with equal sample sizes are computed. These mixing coefficients also arise in testing the ordering as the null hypothesis, in testing order restrictions in exponential families and in testing order restrictions nonparametrically.This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Grant 1 R01 GM42584-01A1     

Tests of ordered hypotheses in linkage in heredity

The asymptotic null distribution of the likelihood ratio test for two cases of ordered hypotheses in a particular genetic model is considered. A simple iterative process is proposed in order to get the restricted estimates. It is shown that both tests have asymptotically a chi-bar squared distribution and the same size. A simulation study is also conducted in order to compare the usual unrestricted test with the corresponding one of ordered hypotheses. Finally, the results are extended to some special cases.     

On the use of information criteria in analytic hierarchy process

In this article, we discuss how the model-selection procedures such as Akaike's information criteria (AIC) can be used for selecting the most appropriate one out of several existing statistical models in the literature for the judgment data used in analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Furthermore, once the appropriate model is selected, a procedure is proposed on the basis of AIC for statistical ranking of the alternatives. This ranking procedure does not suffer from the problem of intransitivity and can be based on non-normal distribution. It enables one to obtain the detailed pattern for the ordered priorities of the alternatives in the decision process involving AHP.     

Multivariate process capability via Löwner ordering

Probability bounds can be derived for distributions whose covariance matrices are ordered with respect to Löwner partial ordering, a relation that is based on whether the difference between two matrices is positive definite. One example is Anderson’s Theorem. This paper develops a probability bound that follows from Anderson’s Theorem that is useful in the assessment of multivariate process capability. A statistical hypothesis test is also derived that allows one to test the null hypothesis that a given process is capable versus the alternative hypothesis that it is not capable on the basis of a sample of observed quality characteristic vectors from the process. It is argued that the proposed methodology is viable outside the multivariate normal model, where the p-value for the test can be computed using the bootstrap. The methods are demonstrated using example data, and the performance of the bootstrap approach is studied empirically using computer simulations.     

A more powerful test identifying the change in mean of functional data

An existence of change point in a sequence of temporally ordered functional data demands more attention in its statistical analysis to make a better use of it. Introducing a dynamic estimator of covariance kernel, we propose a new methodology for testing an existence of change in the mean of temporally ordered functional data. Though a similar estimator is used for the covariance in finite dimension, we introduce it for the independent and weakly dependent functional data in this context for the first time. From this viewpoint, the proposed estimator of covariance kernel is more natural one when the sequence of functional data may possess a change point. We prove that the proposed test statistics are asymptotically pivotal under the null hypothesis and consistent under the alternative. It is shown that our testing procedures outperform the existing ones in terms of power and provide satisfactory results when applied to real data.     

Regression type tests for parametric hypotheses based on optimally selected subsets of the order statistics

Through use of a regression framework, a general technique is developed for determining test procedures based on subsets of the order statistics for both simple and composite parametric null hypotheses. Under both the null hypothesis and sequences of local alternatives these procedures are asymptotically equivalent in distribution to the generalized likelihood ratio statistic based on the corresponding order statistics. A simple, approximate method for selecting quantiles for such tests, which endows the corresponding test statistics with optimal power properties, is also given.     

Abrupt change in mean using block bootstrap and avoiding variance estimation

We deal with sequences of weakly dependent observations that are naturally ordered in time. Their constant mean is possibly subject to change at most once at some unknown time point. The aim is to test whether such an unknown change has occurred or not. The change point methods presented here rely on ratio type test statistics based on maxima of the cumulative sums. These detection procedures for the abrupt change in mean are also robustified by considering a general score function. The main advantage of the proposed approach is that the variance of the observations neither has to be known nor estimated. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistic under the no change null hypothesis is derived. Moreover, we prove the consistency of the test under the alternatives. A block bootstrap method is developed in order to obtain better approximations for the test’s critical values. The validity of the bootstrap algorithm is shown. The results are illustrated through a simulation study, which demonstrates computational efficiency of the procedures. A practical application to real data is presented as well.     

On a new multivariate IFR ageing notion based on the standard construction

Many criteria of ageing for random variables or vectors have been proposed in the literature over many years. For instance, a random variable is increasing in failure rate (IFR) if, and only if, it can be ordered with an exponentially distributed random variable in the classical univariate convex transform order. A new multivariate generalization of the convex transform order has recently been proposed in the literature. In this work, we propose a new multivariate IFR notion for multivariate distributions based on comparisons in this new order with a properly defined exponentially distributed random vector. Properties, applications, and illustrations of this new notion are given as well. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating Stochastically Ordered Survival Functions via Geometric Programming

Many procedures have been proposed to compute nonparametric maximum likelihood estimators (NPMLEs) of survival functions under stochastic ordering constraints. However, each of them is only applicable to a specific type of stochastic ordering constraint and censoring, and is often hard to implement. In this article, we describe a general and flexible method based on geometric programming for computing the NPMLEs from right- or interval-censored data. To this end, we show that the monotonicity properties of the likelihood function and the stochastic ordering constraints considered in the literature allow us to reformulate the estimation problem as a geometric program (GP), a special type of mathematical optimization problem, which can be transformed to a convex optimization problem, and then solved globally and efficiently. We apply this GP-based method to real data examples to illustrate its generality in handling different types of ordering constraints and censoring. We also conduct simulation studies to examine its numerical performance for various sample sizes. Supplemental materials including technical details, computer code, and data files are available online.     

Generation of permutations in lexicographical order

When the permutations are ordered lexicographically there is an ordering number corresponding to each permutation. A relation between the ordering numbers of complementary permutations is shown which can be useful in a computer generation of permutations.     

Free Triangle Orders

We define a new class of ordered sets, called free triangle orders. These are ordered sets represented by a left-to-right ordering on geometric objects contained in a horizontal strip in the plane. The objects are called 'free triangles', and have one vertex on each of the two boundaries of the strip and one vertex in its interior. These ordered sets generalize the classes of trapezoid and triangle orders studied by Bogart, Möhring, and Ryan, represented by trapezoids and triangles respectively, contained within a strip in the plane, and are a special case of the orders of tube dimension 2 introduced by Habib and co-workers, which are represented by any set of convex bodies contained within a strip in the plane. Our main result is that the class of free triangle orders strictly contains the class of trapezoid orders.     

The simplex dispersion ordering and its application to the evaluation of human corneal endothelia

A multivariate dispersion ordering based on random simplices is proposed in this paper. Given a R^d-valued random vector, we consider two random simplices determined by the convex hulls of two independent random samples of sizes d+1 of the vector. By means of the stochastic comparison of the Hausdorff distances between such simplices, a multivariate dispersion ordering is introduced. Main properties of the new ordering are studied. Relationships with other dispersion orderings are considered, placing emphasis on the univariate version. Some statistical tests for the new order are proposed. An application of such ordering to the clinical evaluation of human corneal endothelia is provided. Different analyses are included using an image database of human corneal endothelia.     

Model checking in errors-in-variables regression

This paper discusses a class of minimum distance tests for fitting a parametric regression model to a class of regression functions in the errors-in-variables model. These tests are based on certain minimized distances between a nonparametric regression function estimator and a deconvolution kernel estimator of the conditional expectation of the parametric model being fitted. The paper establishes the asymptotic normality of the proposed test statistics under the null hypothesis and that of the corresponding minimum distance estimators. We also prove the consistency of the proposed tests against a fixed alternative and obtain the asymptotic distributions for general local alternatives. Simulation studies show that the testing procedures are quite satisfactory in the preservation of the finite sample level and in terms of a power comparison.     

A nonparametric lack-of-fit test for heteroscedastic regression models

A simple test is proposed for examining the correctness of a given completely specified response function against unspecified general alternatives in the context of univariate regression. The usual diagnostic tools based on residual plots are useful but heuristic. We introduce a formal statistical test supplementing the graphical analysis. Technically, the test statistic is the maximum length of the sequences of ordered (with respect to the covariate) observations that are consecutively overestimated or underestimated by the candidate regression function. Note that the testing procedure can cope with heteroscedastic errors and no replicates. Recursive formulae allowing one to calculate the exact distribution of the test statistic under the null hypothesis and under a class of alternative hypotheses are given.     

Comparisons in the mean residual life order of coherent systems with identically distributed components

The comparisons of the performance of coherent systems (under different stochastic criteria) is an important task in the reliability theory. Several results have been obtained in the literature for the stochastic, hazard rate and likelihood ratio orders. In this paper, we obtain comparison results for the mean residual life order of coherent systems with identically distributed (ID) component lifetimes. These results can be applied not only to the usual case of systems with independent and identically distributed components but also to the case of systems with exchangeable components and to the more general case of just ID components. The results obtained are based on the representation of the system distribution as a distorted distribution of the common components' distribution. Some specific comparison results are given to illustrate the theoretical results. The comparison results for distorted distributions given here can also be applied to other statistical concepts such as order statistics, generalized order statistics or record values. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A load share model for non-identical components of a k-out-of-m system

We consider a k-out-of-m load sharing system when the lifetimes of the components are not necessarily identically distributed random variables. For such systems, a model for the load sharing phenomenon through the exponentiated conditional survival functions of ordered failure times is proposed. This model is more general than the load sharing model with identically distributed component lifetimes and leads to a different family of distributions for ordered random variables. A general expression for the reliability of the system is given. The computations of the reliability for a two component parallel load sharing system corresponding to the exponential and Weibull distributions are discussed. For illustrative purpose, we discuss the inference procedures for a two component parallel load sharing system corresponding to the exponential distributions. A simulation study is carried out to assess the proposed estimation and testing procedures. The applicability of the proposed load sharing model is shown through two data sets.     

Ordered spatial sampling by means of the traveling salesman problem

In recent years, spatial sampling has been the subject of a flourishing literature. Its use had become widespread due to the availability of topographical information about statistical units, especially in the environmental context. New algorithms enable us to take advantage of spatial locations directly. In this paper, we present a new way of using spatial information by using traditional sampling techniques as systematic sampling. By means of a famous optimization method, the traveling salesman problem, it is possible to order the statistical units in a way that preserves the spatial correlation. Next ordered sampling methods are applied on the statistical units. Therefore we can render spatial some non-spatial methods. An economic application on real data is presented and different spatial and non-spatial methods are tested. Results are compared in terms of variance estimation and spatial balance, in order to establish the possibility of spatializing traditional sampling methods and of implementing them on data of different nature, among which economic ones.     

Testing for the Absence of Random Effects in a Two-way Nested Design with Mixed Effects Model: A Nonparametric Approach

Two-way nested design with mixed effects model arises in many practical situations. In the classical analysis of variance set-up, a test for the absence of the random effects is obtained under the assumption that the random effects and the errors are normally distributed. The present paper avoids this assumption and provides an asymptotically distribution-free test procedure for the above problem. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic is obtained. Actual implementation of the test is straight forward given the prior information on quantiles of the intra-block differences of observations. In the absence of such information, working test procedures are proposed. The performances of these tests are compared with the classical analysis of variance test through simulations. The tests are then illustrated by some real data sets.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality for some classical scheduling problems

A scheduling problem is generally to order the jobs such that a certain objective function f(π) is minimized. For some classical scheduling problems, only sufficient conditions of optimal solutions are concerned in the literature. In this paper, we study the necessary and sufficient conditions by means of the concept of critical ordering (critical jobs and their relations). These results are meaningful in recognition and characterization of optimal solutions of scheduling problems.