Cycle-transitive comparison of independent random variables

The discrete dice model, previously introduced by the present authors, essentially amounts to the pairwise comparison of a collection of independent discrete random variables that are uniformly distributed on finite integer multisets. This pairwise comparison results in a probabilistic relation that exhibits a particular type of transitivity, called dice-transitivity. In this paper, the discrete dice model is generalized with the purpose of pairwisely comparing independent discrete or continuous random variables with arbitrary probability distributions. It is shown that the probabilistic relation generated by a collection of arbitrary independent random variables is still dice-transitive. Interestingly, this probabilistic relation can be seen as a graded alternative to the concept of stochastic dominance. Furthermore, when the marginal distributions of the random variables belong to the same parametric family of distributions, the probabilistic relation exhibits interesting types of isostochastic transitivity, such as multiplicative transitivity. Finally, the probabilistic relation generated by a collection of independent normal random variables is proven to be moderately stochastic transitive.     

Series representations for densities functions of a family of distributions—Application to sums of independent random variables

Series representations for several density functions are obtained as mixtures of generalized gamma distributions with discrete mass probability weights, by using the exponential expansion and the binomial theorem. Based on these results, approximations based on mixtures of generalized gamma distributions are proposed to approximate the distribution of the sum of independent random variables, which may not be identically distributed. The applicability of the proposed approximations are illustrated for the sum of independent Rayleigh random variables, the sum of independent gamma random variables, and the sum of independent Weibull random variables. Numerical studies are presented to assess the precision of these approximations.     

Towards a unification of certain characterizations by conditional expectations

The paper presents a characterization of a general family of distributions by the form of the expectation of an appropriately truncated function of the random variable involved. The obtained result unifies results existing in the literature for specific distributions as well as new results that appear for the first time in this paper. A discrete version is also provided unifying existing characterizations of known discrete distributions.     

Statistical maps and generalized random walks

We continue our study of statistical maps (equivalently, fuzzy random variables in the sense of Gudder and Bugajski). In the realm of fuzzy probability theory, statistical maps describe the transportation of probability measures on one measurable space into probability measures on another measurable space. We show that for discrete probability spaces each statistical map can be represented via a special matrix the rows of which are probability functions related to conditional probabilities and the columns are related to fuzzy n-partitions of the domain. Discrete statistical maps sending a probability measure p to a probability measure q can be represented via conditional distributions and correspond to joint probabilities on the product. The composition of statistical maps provide a tool to describe and to study generalized random walks and Markov chains.     

Comparison of numbers of records in the sequences of discrete and continuous random variables

Different record achievements are fixed in many domains of human activities. This process very often happens with some rate of digitization (up to seconds, meters, or thousands of individuals) of the observed results. By the examples of exponential and geometrical distributions, it is shown how such a type of the transitions from continuous to discrete distributions may vary the numbers of the record values in the corresponding sequences of the random variables.     

On the transitivity of the comonotonic and countermonotonic comparison of random variables

A recently proposed method for the pairwise comparison of arbitrary independent random variables results in a probabilistic relation. When restricted to discrete random variables uniformly distributed on finite multisets of numbers, this probabilistic relation expresses the winning probabilities between pairs of hypothetical dice that carry these numbers and exhibits a particular type of transitivity called dice-transitivity. In case these multisets have equal cardinality, two alternative methods for statistically comparing the ordered lists of the numbers on the faces of the dice have been studied recently: the comonotonic method based upon the comparison of the numbers of the same rank when the lists are in increasing order, and the countermonotonic method, also based upon the comparison of only numbers of the same rank but with the lists in opposite order. In terms of the discrete random variables associated to these lists, these methods each turn out to be related to a particular copula that joins the marginal cumulative distribution functions into a bivariate cumulative distribution function. The transitivity of the generated probabilistic relation has been completely characterized. In this paper, the list comparison methods are generalized for the purpose of comparing arbitrary random variables. The transitivity properties derived in the case of discrete uniform random variables are shown to be generic. Additionally, it is shown that for a collection of normal random variables, both comparison methods lead to a probabilistic relation that is at least moderately stochastic transitive.     

On weighted interval entropy

Measures of uncertainty in past and residual lifetime distributions have been proposed in the information-theoretic literature. Recently, Di Crescenzo and Longobardi (2006) introduced weighted differential entropy and its dynamic versions. These information-theoretic uncertainty measures are shift-dependent. In this paper, we study the weighted differential information measure for two-sided truncated random variables. This new measure is a generalization of recent dynamic weighted entropy measures. We study various properties of this measure, including its connection with weighted residual and past entropies, and we obtain its upper and lower bounds.     

On rank correlation measures for non-continuous random variables

For continuous random variables, many dependence concepts and measures of association can be expressed in terms of the corresponding copula only and are thus independent of the marginal distributions. This interrelationship generally fails as soon as there are discontinuities in the marginal distribution functions. In this paper, we consider an alternative transformation of an arbitrary random variable to a uniformly distributed one. Using this technique, the class of all possible copulas in the general case is investigated. In particular, we show that one of its members—the standard extension copula introduced by Schweizer and Sklar—captures the dependence structures in an analogous way the unique copula does in the continuous case. Furthermore, we consider measures of concordance between arbitrary random variables and obtain generalizations of Kendall's tau and Spearman's rho that correspond to the sample version of these quantities for empirical distributions.     

Green's functions for elliptic and parabolic equations with random coefficients II

This paper is concerned with linear parabolic partial differential equations in divergence form and their discrete analogues. It is assumed that the coefficients of the equation are stationary random variables, random in both space and time. The Green's functions for the equations are then random variables. Regularity properties for expectation values of Green's functions are obtained. In particular, it is shown that the expectation value is a continuously differentiable function in the space variable whose derivatives are bounded by the corresponding derivatives of the Green's function for the heat equation. Similar results are obtained for the related finite difference equations. This paper generalises results of a previous paper which considered the case when the coefficients are constant in time but random in space.

     

Multivariate dynamic information

This paper develops measures of information for multivariate distributions when their supports are truncated progressively. The focus is on the joint, marginal, and conditional entropies, and the mutual information for residual life distributions where the support is truncated at the current ages of the components of a system. The current ages of the components induce a joint dynamic into the residual life information measures. Our study of dynamic information measures includes several important bivariate and multivariate lifetime models. We derive entropy expressions for a few models, including Marshall-Olkin bivariate exponential. However, in general, study of the dynamics of residual information measures requires computational techniques or analytical results. A bivariate gamma example illustrates study of dynamic information via numerical integration. The analytical results facilitate studying other distributions. The results are on monotonicity of the residual entropy of a system and on transformations that preserve the monotonicity and the order of entropies between two systems. The results also include a new entropy characterization of the joint distribution of independent exponential random variables.     

关于Shannon—Mcmillan定理的若干研究（Ⅱ）

该文通过概率空间上的任意分布列与独立分布列比较，研究任意随机变量序列相对熵密度用不等式给出的强极限定理，即小偏差定理，并由此得出若干Shannon－Mcmillan定理，将作者已有的关于离散信源的结果加以推广.     

On Bernoulli decompositions for random variables, concentration bounds, and spectral localization

As was noted already by A. N. Kolmogorov, any random variable has a Bernoulli component. This observation provides a tool for the extension of results which are known for Bernoulli random variables to arbitrary distributions. Two applications are provided here: (i) an anti-concentration bound for a class of functions of independent random variables, where probabilistic bounds are extracted from combinatorial results, and (ii) a proof, based on the Bernoulli case, of spectral localization for random Schrödinger operators with arbitrary probability distributions for the single site coupling constants. For a general random variable, the Bernoulli component may be defined so that its conditional variance is uniformly positive. The natural maximization problem is an optimal transport question which is also addressed here.     

On simulating truncated stable random variables

Soltani and Shirvani (Comput Stat 25:155–161, 2010) proposed a scheme for simulating truncated stable random variables. That involves solving a nonlinear transformation in each realization. Here, we propose alternative schemes to generate truncated stable random variables. Our schemes are more general (for example, incorporates one-sided and two-sided truncations) and are shown to be more efficient.     

Weak convergence of random sums and maximum random sums under nonrandom norming

Necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for the weak convergence of random sums and maximum random sums of independent identically distributed random variables. Limit distributions for these sums are described. The indices are not assumed to be independent of the summands. Supported in part by Grants NFW000 and NFW300 from the International Science Foundation and the Russian Government and by Grant No. 93-011-1446 from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research. Proceedings of the XVII Seminar on Stability Problems for Stochastic Models, Kazan, Russia, 1995, Part I.     

On distributions of random variables chosen at random

The existence of typical distributions for random variables chosen at random from a finite-dimensional random variable vector space of high dimension is established. Possible typical distributions are described, and conditions for the typical distribution to be standard Gaussian are given. Bibliography: 2 titles. Translated fromZapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov POMI, Vol. 216, 1994, pp. 153–160. Translated by the author.     

On the Distribution of the Sum of n Non-Identically Distributed Uniform Random Variables

The distribution of the sum of independent identically distributed uniform random variables is well-known. However, it is sometimes necessary to analyze data which have been drawn from different uniform distributions. By inverting the characteristic function, we derive explicit formulae for the distribution of the sum of n non-identically distributed uniform random variables in both the continuous and the discrete case. The results, though involved, have a certain elegance. As examples, we derive from our general formulae some special cases which have appeared in the literature.     

L族END的多元部分和的精确大偏差下界

从保险的实际出发,研究服从长尾分布族(L族)上的多元风险模型中随机变量序列的部分和的精确大偏差,其中假设随机变量序列是一列延拓负相依(END)的、同分布的随机变量序列,利用基于求L族的精确大偏差的方法得到了随机变量部分和的渐近下界.     

Clustering of high values in random fields

The asymptotic results that underlie applications of extreme random fields often assume that the variables are located on a regular discrete grid, identified with \(\mathbb {Z}^{2}\), and that they satisfy stationarity and isotropy conditions. Here we extend the existing theory, concerning the asymptotic behavior of the maximum and the extremal index, to non-stationary and anisotropic random fields, defined over discrete subsets of \(\mathbb {R}^{2}\). We show that, under a suitable coordinatewise mixing condition, the maximum may be regarded as the maximum of an approximately independent sequence of submaxima, although there may be high local dependence leading to clustering of high values. Under restrictions on the local path behavior of high values, criteria are given for the existence and value of the spatial extremal index which plays a key role in determining the cluster sizes and quantifying the strength of dependence between exceedances of high levels. The general theory is applied to the class of max-stable random fields, for which the extremal index is obtained as a function of well-known tail dependence measures found in the literature, leading to a simple estimation method for this parameter. The results are illustrated with non-stationary Gaussian and 1-dependent random fields. For the latter, a simulation and estimation study is performed.     

Decision making with hybrid influence diagrams using mixtures of truncated exponentials

Mixtures of truncated exponentials (MTE) potentials are an alternative to discretization for representing continuous chance variables in influence diagrams. Also, MTE potentials can be used to approximate utility functions. This paper introduces MTE influence diagrams, which can represent decision problems without restrictions on the relationships between continuous and discrete chance variables, without limitations on the distributions of continuous chance variables, and without limitations on the nature of the utility functions. In MTE influence diagrams, all probability distributions and the joint utility function (or its multiplicative factors) are represented by MTE potentials and decision nodes are assumed to have discrete state spaces. MTE influence diagrams are solved by variable elimination using a fusion algorithm.     

A Hankel-type norm of a random mass-spring-damper system

We consider linear dynamical systems including random variables for an uncertainty quantification. A quantity of interest is expanded into a series with orthogonal basis polynomials. We investigate a Hankel-type norm of a truncated series. An approximation of this norm can be obtained by a quadrature formula, which implies a larger weakly coupled system. We present results of numerical computations using sparse grid quadratures in the case of a mass-spring-damper system. (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)