Convergence of weighted sums of independent random variables

Let {X_k} be a sequence of i.i.d. random variables with d.f. F(x). In the first part of the paper the weak convergence of the d.f.'s F_n(x) of sums is studied, where 0<α≤2, a_nk>0, 1≤k≤m_n, and, as n→∞, bothmax _1≤k≤mn_{a nk}→0 and . It is shown that such convergence, with suitably chosen A_n's and necessarily stable limit laws, holds for all such arrays {α_nk} provided it holds for the special case α_nk=1/n, 1≤k≤n. Necessary and sufficient conditions for such convergence are classical. Conditions are given for the convergence of the moments of the sequence {F_n(x)}, as well as for its convergence in mean. The second part of the paper deals with the almost sure convergence of sums , where a_n≠0, b_n>0, andmax _1≤k≤n a_k/b_n→0. The strong law is said to hold if there are constants A_n for which S_n→0 almost surely. Let N(0)=0 and N(x) equal the number of n≥1 for which b_n/|a_n|<x if x>0. The main result is as follows. If the strong law holds,EN (|X₁|)<∞. If for some 0<p≤2, then the strong law holds with if 1≤p≤2 and A_n=0 if 0<p<1. This extends the results of Heyde and of Jamison, Orey, and Pruitt. The strong law is shown to hold under various conditions imposed on F(x), the coefficients a_n and b_n, and the function N(x). Proceedings of the Seminar on Stability Problems for Stochastic Models, Moscow, 1993.