Testing the Gumbel Hypothesis Via the Pot-Method

We consider an i.i.d. sample, generated by some distribution function, which belongs to the domain of attraction of an extreme value distribution with unknown shape and scale parameters. We treat the scale parameter as a nuisance parameter and establish for the hypothesis of Gumbel domain of attraction an asymptotically optimal test based on those observations among the sample, which exceed a given threshold sequence. Asymptotic optimality is achieved along certain contiguous extreme value alternatives within the concept of local asymptotic normality (LAN). Adaptive test procedures exist under restrictive assumptions. The finite sample size behavior of the proposed test is studied by simulations and it is compared to that of a test based on the sample coefficient of variation.