On the limiting Pitman efficiency of some rank tests of independence

The limiting (as the significance level approaches 0) Pitman efficiency of a new “regression-based” rank test of independence to Kendall's tau and Spearman's rho is derived. The result is based on a version of [17], Ann. Statist.4 1003–1011) on coincidence of the limiting Pitman efficiency and the local (as the alternative approaches the hypothesis) approximate Bahadur efficiency. [7], Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.87, 173–186) result is applied to verify the main assumption of Wieand's paper. This approach is shown to be useful in some other situations, also.     

Sufficiency and completeness in the linear model

This paper provides further contributions to the theory of linear sufficiency and linear completeness. The notion of linear sufficiency was introduced by [2], Ann. Statist. 9, 913–916) and Drygas (in press, Sankhya) with respect to the linear model Ey = Xβ, var y = V. In addition to correcting an inadequate proof of [8], the relationship to an earlier definition and to the theory of linear prediction is also demonstrated. Moreover, the notion is extended to the model Ey = Xβ, var y = δ²V. Its connection with sufficiency under normality is investigated. An example illustrates the results.     

MU-Estimation and Smoothing

In the M-estimation theory developed by Huber (1964, Ann. Math. Statist.43, 1449–1458), the parameter under estimation is the value of θ which minimizes the expectation of what is called a discrepancy measure (DM) δ(X, θ) which is a function of θ and the underlying random variable X. Such a setting does not cover the estimation of parameters such as the multivariate median defined by Oja (1983) and Liu (1990), as the value of θ which minimizes the expectation of a DM of the type δ(X₁, …, X_m, θ) where X₁, …, X_m are independent copies of the underlying random variable X. Arcones et al. (1994, Ann. Statist.22, 1460–1477) studied the estimation of such parameters. We call such an M-type MU-estimation (or μ-estimation for convenience). When a DM is not a differentiable function of θ, some complexities arise in studying the properties of estimators as well as in their computation. In such a case, we introduce a new method of smoothing the DM with a kernel function and using it in estimation. It is seen that smoothing allows us to develop an elegant approach to the study of asymptotic properties and possibly apply the Newton–Raphson procedure in the computation of estimators.     

Robust priors for smoothing and image restoration

The Bayesian method for restoring an image corrupted by added Gaussian noise uses a Gibbs prior for the unknown clean image. The potential of this Gibbs prior penalizes differences between adjacent grey levels. In this paper we discuss the choice of the form and the parameters of the penalizing potential in a particular example used previously by Ogata (1990,Ann. Inst. Statist. Math.,42, 403–433). In this example the clean image is piecewise constant, but the constant patches and the step sizes at edges are small compared with the noise variance. We find that contrary to results reported in Ogata (1990,Ann. Inst. Statist. Math.,42, 403–433) the Bayesian method performs well provided the potential increases more slowly than a quadratic one and the scale parameter of the potential is sufficiently small. Convex potentials with bounded derivatives perform not much worse than bounded potentials, but are computationally much simpler. For bounded potentials we use a variant of simulated annealing. For quadratic potentials data-driven choices of the smoothing parameter are reviewed and compared. For other potentials the smoothing parameter is determined by considering which deviations from a flat image we would like to smooth out and retain respectively.     

Adaptive nonparametric estimation of a multivariate regression function

We consider the kernel estimation of a multivariate regression function at a point. Theoretical choices of the bandwidth are possible for attaining minimum mean squared error or for local scaling, in the sense of asymptotic distribution. However, these choices are not available in practice. We follow the approach of Krieger and Pickands (Ann. Statist.9 (1981) 1066–1078) and Abramson (J. Multivariate Anal.12 (1982), 562–567) in constructing adaptive estimates after demonstrating the weak convergence of some error process. As consequences, efficient data-driven consistent estimation is feasible, and data-driven local scaling is also feasible. In the latter instance, nearest-neighbor-type estimates and variance-stabilizing estimates are obtained as special cases.     

On the distribution of simple zeros of polynomials

Erd s and Turán discussed in (Ann. of Math. 41 (1940), 162–173; 51 (1950), 105–119) the distribution of the zeros of monic polynomials if their Chebyshev norm on [−1, 1] or on the unit disk is known. We sharpen this result to the case that all zeros of the polynomials are simple. As applications, estimates for the distribution of the zeros of orthogonal polynomials and the distribution of the alternation points in Chebyshev polynomial approximation are given. This last result sharpens a well-known error bound of Kadec (Amer. Math. Soc. Transl. 26 (1963), 231–234).     

Multinomial logistic regression algorithm

The lower bound principle (introduced in Böhning and Lindsay 1988, Ann. Inst. Statist. Math., 40, 641–663), Böhning (1989, Biometrika, 76, 375–383) consists of replacing the second derivative matrix by a global lower bound in the Loewner ordering. This bound is used in the Newton-Raphson iteration instead of the Hessian matrix leading to a monotonically converging sequence of iterates. Here, we apply this principle to the multinomial logistic regression model, where it becomes specifically attractive.Supplement to Monotonicity of quadratic-approximation algorithms by Böhning and Lindsay (1988). Ann. Inst. Statist. Math., 40, 641–663.This research was supported by the German Research Foundation.     

Principal Component Analysis from the Multivariate Familial Correlation Matrix

This paper considers principal component analysis (PCA) in familial models, where the number of siblings can differ among families. S. Konishi and C. R. Rao (1992, Biometrika79, 631–641) used the unified estimator of S. Konishi and C. G. Khatri (1990, Ann. Inst. Statist. Math.42, 561–580) to develop a PCA derived from the covariance matrix. However, because of the lack of invariance to componentwise change of scale, an analysis based on the correlation matrix is often preferred. The asymptotic distribution of the estimated eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the correlation matrix are derived under elliptical sampling. A Monte Carlo simulation shows the usefulness of the asymptotic expressions for samples as small as N=25 families.     

Sequential Estimation of the Mean Vector of a Multivariate Linear Process

Sequential procedures are proposed to estimate the unknown mean vector of a multivariate linear process of the form X_t − μ = ∑^∞_{j = 0}A_jZ_{t − j}, where the Z_t are i.i.d. (0, Σ) with unknown covariance matrix Σ. The proposed point estimation is asymptotically risk efficient in the sense of Starr (1966, Ann. Math. Statist.37 1173-1185). The fixed accuracy confidence set procedure is asymptotically efficient with prescribed coverage probability in the sense of Chow and Robbins (1965, Ann. Math. Statist.36 457-462). A random central limit theorem for this process, under a mild summability condition on the coefficient matrices A_j, is also obtained.     

Local Bahadur efficiency of rank tests for the independence problem

In previous papers [Approximate and local Bahadur efficiency of linear rank tests in the two-sample problem, Ann. Statist.7, 1246–1255, 1979; Local comparison of linear rank tests in the Bahadur sense, Metrika, 1979] the author developed for linear rank tests of the one-sample symmetry and the k-sample problem (k ≥ 2) a theory of local comparison, based on the concept of Bahadur efficiency. In the present article this theory is carried over to rank tests of the independence problem.     

On a Small Sample Adjustment for the Profile Score Function in Semiparametric Smoothing Models

We consider the profile score function in models with smooth and parametric components. If local respectively weighted likelihood estimation is used for fitting the smooth component, the resulting profile likelihood estimate for the parametric component is asymptotically efficient as shown in T. A. Severini and W. H. Wong (1992, Ann. Statist.20, 1768–1802). However, as in solely parametric models the profile score function is not unbiased. We propose a small sample bias adjustment which results by extending the correction suggested in P. McCullagh and R. Tibshirani (1990, J. Roy. Statist. Soc. Ser. B52, 325–344) to the framework of semiparametric models.     

Sufficiency and Jensen's inequality for conditional expectations

For finite sets of probability measures, sufficiency is characterized by means of certain positively homogeneous convex functions. The essential tool is a discussion of equality in Jensen's inequality for conditional expectations. In particular, it is shown that characterizations of sufficiency by Csiszár's f-divergence (1963, Publ. Math. Inst. Hung. Acad. Sci. Ser. A, 8, 85–107) and by optimal solutions of a Bayesian decision problem used by Morse and Sacksteder (1966, Ann. Math. Statist., 37, 203–214) can be proved by the same method.     

Consistent estimation of location region

Asymmetric multivariate probability distributions can be difficult to characterize in terms of their location. The works of Doksum (1975, Scand. J. Statist., 2, 11–22) and Blough (1985, Ann. Inst. Statist. Math., 37, 545–555) provide the construction of a location region for a given distribution. Any point in this closed, convex region will serve as a location parameter. It is the purpose of this paper to obtain a consistent estimator of the location region. Consistency is defined in terms of an appropriate pseudometric.     

Asymptotic theorems for estimating the distribution function under random truncation

Representation theorem and local asymptotic minimax theorem are derived for nonparametric estimators of the distribution function on the basis of randomly truncated data. The convolution-type representation theorem asserts that the limiting process of any regular estimator of the distribution function is at least as dispersed as the limiting process of the product-limit estimator. The theorems are similar to those results for the complete data case due to Beran (1977, Ann. Statist., 5, 400–404) and for the censored data case due to Wellner (1982, Ann. Statist., 10, 595–602). Both likelihood and functional approaches are considered and the proofs rely on the method of Begun et al. (1983, Ann. Statist., 11, 432–452) with slight modifications.Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Columbia Univ.     

On the estimation of entropy

Motivated by recent work of Joe (1989,Ann. Inst. Statist. Math.,41, 683–697), we introduce estimators of entropy and describe their properties. We study the effects of tail behaviour, distribution smoothness and dimensionality on convergence properties. In particular, we argue that root-n consistency of entropy estimation requires appropriate assumptions about each of these three features. Our estimators are different from Joe's, and may be computed without numerical integration, but it can be shown that the same interaction of tail behaviour, smoothness and dimensionality also determines the convergence rate of Joe's estimator. We study both histogram and kernel estimators of entropy, and in each case suggest empirical methods for choosing the smoothing parameter.     

AIC, Overfitting Principles, and the Boundedness of Moments of Inverse Matrices for Vector Autotregressions and Related Models

In his somewhat informal derivation, Akaike (in “Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium Information Theory” (C. B. Petrov and F. Csaki, Eds.), pp. 610–624, Academici Kiado, Budapest, 1973) obtained AIC's parameter-count adjustment to the log-likelihood as a bias correction: it yields an asymptotically unbiased estimate of the quantity that measures the average fit of the estimated model to an independent replicate of the data used for estimation. We present the first mathematically complete derivation of an analogous property of AIC for comparing vector autoregressions fit to weakly stationary series. As a preparatory result, we derive a very general “overfitting principle,” first formulated in a more limited context in Findley (Ann. Inst. Statist. Math.43, 509–514, 1991), asserting that a natural measure of an estimated model's overfit due to parameter estimation is equal, asymptotically, to a measure of its accuracy loss with independent replicates. A formal principle of parsimony for fitted models is obtained from this, which for nested models, covers the situation in which all models considered are misspecified. To prove these results, we establish a set of general conditions under which, for each τ1, the absolute τth moments of the entries of the inverse matrices associated with least squares estimation are bounded for sufficiently large sample sizes.     

Tests for standardized generalized variances of multivariate normal populations of possibly different dimensions

In many practical problems, one needs to compare variabilities of several multidimensional populations. The concept of standardized generalized variance (SGV) is introduced as an extension of the concept of GV. Considering multivariate normal populations of possibly different dimensions and general covariance matrices, LRTs are derived for SGVs. The criteria turn out to be elegant multivariate analogs to those for tests for variances in the univariate cases. The null and nonnull distributions of the test criteria are deducdd in computable forms in terms of Special Functions, e.g., Pincherle'sH-function, by exploiting the theory of calculus of residues (Mathai and Saxena,Ann. Math. Statist.40, 1439–1448).     

Optimum experimental design for a regression on a hypercube-generalization of Hoel's result

In the note Hoel's result (1965, Ann. Math. Statist., 36, 1097–1106) is generalized to a large family of experimental design optimality criterions. Sufficient conditions for optimality criterion are given, which ensure existence of the optimum experimental design measure which is a product of design measures on lower dimensional domains.     

Analytic wave front set for solutions to Schrödinger equations

This paper is a continuation of [A. Martinez, S. Nakamura, V. Sordoni, Analytic smoothing effect for the Schrödinger equation with long-range perturbation, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. LIX (2006) 1330–1351], where an analytic smoothing effect was proved for long-range type perturbations of the Laplacian H₀ on . In this paper, we consider short-range type perturbations H of the Laplacian on , and we characterize the analytic wave front set of the solution to the Schrödinger equation: e^−itHf, in terms of that of the free solution: e^−itH₀f, for t<0 in the forward non-trapping region. The same result holds for t>0 in the backward non-trapping region. This result is an analytic analogue of results by Hassel and Wunsch [A. Hassel, J. Wunsch, The Schrödinger propagator for scattering metrics, Ann. of Math. 162 (2005) 487–523] and Nakamura [S. Nakamura, Wave front set for solutions to Schrödinger equations, J. Funct. Anal. 256 (2009) 1299–1309].     

Nonparametric test of restricted interchangeability

Exact and large sample distributions of the rank order test under the null hypothesis of restricted interchangeability are obtained. Under given regularity conditions and under Pitman's shift in location alternative, the asymptotic relative efficiency of this nonparametric test in comparison with Votaw's (1948, Ann. Math. Statist., 19, 447–473) likelihood ratio test is given.