Estimating the error distribution in nonparametric multiple regression with applications to model testing

In this paper we consider the estimation of the error distribution in a heteroscedastic nonparametric regression model with multivariate covariates. As estimator we consider the empirical distribution function of residuals, which are obtained from multivariate local polynomial fits of the regression and variance functions, respectively. Weak convergence of the empirical residual process to a Gaussian process is proved. We also consider various applications for testing model assumptions in nonparametric multiple regression. The model tests obtained are able to detect local alternatives that converge to zero at an n^−1/2-rate, independent of the covariate dimension. We consider in detail a test for additivity of the regression function.     

Testing independence in nonparametric regression

We propose a new test for independence of error and covariate in a nonparametric regression model. The test statistic is based on a kernel estimator for the L₂-distance between the conditional distribution and the unconditional distribution of the covariates. In contrast to tests so far available in literature, the test can be applied in the important case of multivariate covariates. It can also be adjusted for models with heteroscedastic variance. Asymptotic normality of the test statistic is shown. Simulation results and a real data example are presented.     

Rank test for heteroscedastic functional data

In this paper, we consider (mid-)rank based inferences for testing hypotheses in a fully nonparametric marginal model for heteroscedastic functional data that contain a large number of within subject measurements from possibly only a limited number of subjects. The effects of several crossed factors and their interactions with time are considered. The results are obtained by establishing asymptotic equivalence between the rank statistics and their asymptotic rank transforms. The inference holds under the assumption ofα-mixing without moment assumptions. As a result, the proposed tests are applicable to data from heavy-tailed or skewed distributions, including both continuous and ordered categorical responses. Simulation results and a real application confirm that the (mid-)rank procedures provide both robustness and increased power over the methods based on original observations for non-normally distributed data.     

Nonparametric likelihood ratio goodness-of-fit tests for survival data

Berk and Jones (Z. Wahrsch. Verw. Gebiete 47 (1979) 47) described a nonparametric likelihood test of uniformity that is more efficient, in Bahadur's sense, than any weighted Kolmogorov-Smirnov test at any alternative. This article shows how to obtain a nonparametric likelihood test of a general parametric family for incomplete survival data. A nonparametric likelihood ratio test process is employed to measure the discrepancy between a parametric family and the observed data. Large sample properties of the likelihood ratio test process are studied under both the null and alternative hypotheses. A Monte Carlo simulation method is proposed to estimate its null distribution. We show how to produce a likelihood ratio graphical check as well as a formal test of a parametric family based on the developed theory. Our method is developed for the right-censorship model, but can be easily extended to some other survival models. Illustrations are given using both real and simulated data.     

A Test for Additivity in Nonparametric Regression

A simple consistent test of additivity in a multiple nonparametric regression model is proposed, where data are observed on a lattice. The new test is based on an estimator of the L ²-distance between the (unknown) nonparametric regression function and its best approximation by an additive nonparametric regression model. The corresponding test-statistic is the difference of a classical ANOVA style statistic in a two-way layout with one observation per cell and a variance estimator in a homoscedastic nonparametric regression model. Under the null hypothesis of additivity asymptotic normality is established with a limiting variance which involves only the variance of the error of measurements. The results are extended to models with an approximate lattice structure, a heteroscedastic error structure and the finite sample behaviour of the proposed procedure is investigated by means of a simulation study.     

Location estimation in nonparametric regression with censored data

Consider the heteroscedastic model Y=m(X)+σ(X)?, where ? and X are independent, Y is subject to right censoring, m(·) is an unknown but smooth location function (like e.g. conditional mean, median, trimmed mean…) and σ(·) an unknown but smooth scale function. In this paper we consider the estimation of m(·) under this model. The estimator we propose is a Nadaraya-Watson type estimator, for which the censored observations are replaced by ‘synthetic’ data points estimated under the above model. The estimator offers an alternative for the completely nonparametric estimator of m(·), which cannot be estimated consistently in a completely nonparametric way, whenever high quantiles of the conditional distribution of Y given X=x are involved.We obtain the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator of m(x) and study its finite sample behaviour in a simulation study. The method is also applied to a study of quasars in astronomy.     

On an asymptotically more efficient estimation of the single-index model

In this note, we revisit the single-index model with heteroscedastic error, and recommend an estimating equation method in terms of transferring restricted least squares to unrestricted least squares: the estimator of the index parameter is asymptotically more efficient than existing estimators in the literature in the sense that it is of a smaller limiting variance.     

Nonparametric lack-of-fit tests for parametric mean-regression models with censored data

We developed two kernel smoothing based tests of a parametric mean-regression model against a nonparametric alternative when the response variable is right-censored. The new test statistics are inspired by the synthetic data and the weighted least squares approaches for estimating the parameters of a (non)linear regression model under censoring. The asymptotic critical values of our tests are given by the quantiles of the standard normal law. The tests are consistent against fixed alternatives, local Pitman alternatives and uniformly over alternatives in Hölder classes of functions of known regularity.     

Nonparametric and semiparametric optimal transformations of markers

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of a likelihood-ratio function has been shown to be the highest among all transformations of continuous markers. For any sampling scheme with the same likelihoods, the induced conditional probability is derived to have the same ROC curve and is found to be more useful for inference purposes. To compromise the difficult task of high-dimensionality in fully nonparametric models and the risk of model misspecification in fully parametric ones, an appealing single-index model is also adopted in our optimization problem. Based on a nonparametric estimator of the area under the ROC curve (AUC), we develop its related inferences and provide some simple and easily checked conditions for the validity of asymptotic results. Since the optimal marker is estimated by using a semiparametric or nonparametric model, conventional theoretical approaches might be inappropriate to some circumstances. The applicability of our procedures are further demonstrated through extensive numerical experiments and data from the studies of Pima-Indian diabetes and liver disorders.     

Diagnostic checking for multivariate regression models

Diagnostic checking for multivariate parametric models is investigated in this article. A nonparametric Monte Carlo Test (NMCT) procedure is proposed. This Monte Carlo approximation is easy to implement and can automatically make any test procedure scale-invariant even when the test statistic is not scale-invariant. With it we do not need plug-in estimation of the asymptotic covariance matrix that is used to normalize test statistic and then the power performance can be enhanced. The consistency of NMCT approximation is proved. For comparison, we also extend the score type test to one-dimensional cases. NMCT can also be applied to diverse problems such as a classical problem for which we test whether or not certain covariables in linear model has significant impact for response. Although the Wilks lambda, a likelihood ratio test, is a proven powerful test, NMCT outperforms it especially in non-normal cases. Simulations are carried out and an application to a real data set is illustrated.     

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Using wavelet smoothing and least-squares methods,we investigate a heteroscedastic partly linear errors-in-variables (EV)model with $\alpha$-mixing random errors. The wavelet estimators of the parametric parts and nonparametric parts are given, and Berry-Esseen bounds of wavelet estimators are obtained under general conditions.     

部分线性变系数模型中估计的渐进正态性

作为部分线性模型与变系数模型的推广,部分线性变系数模型是一类应用非常广泛的模型,本文基于Profile最小二乘方法给出了模型中参数分量与非参数分量的估计,并在异方差情形下证明了这些估计的渐进正态性.     

Testing the equality of linear single-index models

Comparison of nonparametric regression models has been extensively discussed in the literature for the one-dimensional covariate case. The comparison problem largely remains open for completely nonparametric models with multi-dimensional covariates. We address this issue under the assumption that models are single-index models (SIMs). We propose a test for checking the equality of the mean functions of two (or more) SIM’s. The asymptotic normality of the test statistic is established and an empirical study is conducted to evaluate the finite-sample performance of the proposed procedure.     

Functional-coefficient partially linear regression model

In this paper, the functional-coefficient partially linear regression (FCPLR) model is proposed by combining nonparametric and functional-coefficient regression (FCR) model. It includes the FCR model and the nonparametric regression (NPR) model as its special cases. It is also a generalization of the partially linear regression (PLR) model obtained by replacing the parameters in the PLR model with some functions of the covariates. The local linear technique and the integrated method are employed to give initial estimators of all functions in the FCPLR model. These initial estimators are asymptotically normal. The initial estimator of the constant part function shares the same bias as the local linear estimator of this function in the univariate nonparametric model, but the variance of the former is bigger than that of the latter. Similarly, initial estimators of every coefficient function share the same bias as the local linear estimates in the univariate FCR model, but the variance of the former is bigger than that of the latter. To decrease the variance of the initial estimates, a one-step back-fitting technique is used to obtain the improved estimators of all functions. The improved estimator of the constant part function has the same asymptotic normality property as the local linear nonparametric regression for univariate data. The improved estimators of the coefficient functions have the same asymptotic normality properties as the local linear estimates in FCR model. The bandwidths and the smoothing variables are selected by a data-driven method. Both simulated and real data examples related to nonlinear time series modeling are used to illustrate the applications of the FCPLR model.     

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.     

Corrected empirical likelihood inference for right-censored partially linear single-index model

This article deals with the inference on a right-censored partially linear single-index model (RCPLSIM). The main focus is the local empirical likelihood-based inference on the nonparametric part in RCPLSIM. With a synthetic data approach, an empirical log-likelihood ratio statistic for the nonparametric part is defined and it is shown that its limiting distribution is not a central chi-squared distribution. To increase the accuracy of the confidence interval, we also propose a corrected empirical log-likelihood ratio statistic for the nonparametric function. The resulting statistic is proved to follow a standard chi-squared limiting distribution. Simulation studies are undertaken to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed confidence intervals. A real example is also considered.     

Robust estimation in a nonlinear cointegration model

This paper considers the nonparametric M-estimator in a nonlinear cointegration type model. The local time density argument, which was developed by Phillips and Park (1998) [6] and Wang and Phillips (2009) [9], is applied to establish the asymptotic theory for the nonparametric M-estimator. The weak consistency and the asymptotic distribution of the proposed estimator are established under mild conditions. Meanwhile, the asymptotic distribution of the local least squares estimator and the local least absolute distance estimator can be obtained as applications of our main results. Furthermore, an iterated procedure for obtaining the nonparametric M-estimator and a cross-validation bandwidth selection method are discussed, and some numerical examples are provided to show that the proposed methods perform well in the finite sample case.     

On the estimation of a monotone conditional variance in nonparametric regression

A monotone estimate of the conditional variance function in a heteroscedastic, nonparametric regression model is proposed. The method is based on the application of a kernel density estimate to an unconstrained estimate of the variance function and yields an estimate of the inverse variance function. The final monotone estimate of the variance function is obtained by an inversion of this function. The method is applicable to a broad class of nonparametric estimates of the conditional variance and particularly attractive to users of conventional kernel methods, because it does not require constrained optimization techniques. The approach is also illustrated by means of a simulation study.