Convergence of two functionals of asymptotically normal sums of independent random variables

We consider two functionals of sums of independent random variables and demonstrate that the validity of the central limit theorem for the sums of independent random variables that enter the arguments of those functionals is a sufficient condition for one of the functionals and a necessary and sufficient condition for the other one to have a weak limit. Proceedings of the Seminar on Stability Problems for Stochastic Models. Moscow. Russia. 1996. Part II.     

Moments of sums of independent random variables

Upper bounds are obtained for the absolute moments of order p>1 of sums of independent random variables.Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova Akademii Nauk SSSR, Vol. 177, pp. 120–121, 1989.     

Convergence of weighted sums of tight random elements

Convergence of weighted sums of tight random elements {V_n} (in a separable Banach space) which have zero expected values and uniformly bounded rth moments (r > 1) is obtained. In particular, if {a_nk} is a Toeplitz sequence of real numbers, then | Σ_k=1^∞a_nkf(V_k)| → 0 in probability for each continuous linear functional f if and only if 6Σ_k=1^∞a_nkV_k 6→ 0 in probability. When the random elements are independent and max_{1≤k≤n | ank | = $\text{O}$(n^?8)} for some $\text{0 <}\text{1}\text{s}\text{< r ? 1}$, then |Σ_k=1^∞a_nkV_k 6→ 0 with probability 1. These results yield laws of large numbers without assuming geometric conditions on the Banach space. Finally, these results can be extended to random elements in certain Fréchet spaces.     

Stability of sums of weighted nonnegative random variables

A stability result for sums of weighted nonnegative random variables is established and then it is utilized to obtain, among other things, a slight generalization of the Borel-Cantelli lemma and to show that the work of Jamison, Orey, and Pruitt (Z. Wahrsch. Verw. Gebiete4 (1965), 40–44) on almost sure convergence of weighted averages of independent random variables remains valid if the assumption of independence on the random variables is replaced by pairwise independence.     

Vague convergence of sums of independent random variables

A sequence (μ _n) of probability measures on the real line is said to converge vaguely to a measureμ if∫ fdμ _n →∫ fdμ for every continuous functionf withcompact support. In this paper one investigates problems analogous to the classical central limit problem under vague convergence. Let ‖μ‖ denote the total mass ofμ andδ ₀ denote the probability measure concentrated in the origin. For the theory of infinitesimal triangular arrays it is true in the present context, as it is in the classical one, that all obtainable limit laws are limits of sequences of infinitely divisible probability laws. However, unlike the classical situation, the class of infinitely divisible laws is not closed under vague convergence. It is shown that for every probability measureμ there is a closed interval [0,λ], [0,e ⁻¹] ⊂ [0,λ] ⊂ [0, 1], such thatβμ is attainable as a limit of infinitely divisible probability laws iffβ ε [0,λ]. In the independent identically distributed case, it is shown that if (x ₁ + ... +x _n)/a _n, a_n → ∞, converges vaguely toμ with 0<‖μ‖<1, thenμ=‖μ‖δ ₀. If furthermore the ratiosa _n+1/a _n are bounded above and below by positive numbers, thenL(x)=P[|X ₁|>x] is a slowly varying function ofx. Conversely, ifL(x) is slowly varying, then for everyβ ε (0, 1) one can choosea _n → ∞ so that the limit measure=βδ ₀. To the memory of Shlomo Horowitz This research was partially supported by the National Science Foundation.     

Inequalities for sums of independent geometrical random variables

Summary We give a survey of known results regarding Schur-convexity of probability distribution functions. Then we prove that the functionF(p ₁,...,p_n;t)=P(X₁+...+X_n≤t) is Schur-concave with respect to (p ₁,...,p_n) for every realt, whereX _i are independent geometric random variables with parametersp _i. A generalization to negative binomial random variables is also presented.