One- and two-term edgeworth expansions for a finite population sample mean. Exact results. I

We prove the validity of one- and two-term Edgeworth expansions under optimal conditions (a Cramer-type smoothness condition and the minimal moment conditions) and provide precise bounds for the remainders of expansions. The bounds depend explicitly on the ratiop=N/n, whereN andn denote the sample size and the population size, respectively. Supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Published in Lietuvos Matematikos Rinkinys, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 277–294, July–September, 2000.     

Central limit theorem for stochastically continuous processes. Convergence to stable limit

LetX={X(t), t[0, 1]} be a stochastically continuous cadlag process. Assume that thek dimensional finite joint distributions ofX are in the domain of normal attraction of strictlyp-stable, 0<p<2, measure onR ^k for all 1k<. For functionsf, g such that _p (|X(x–X(u)|) >g(u–s) and _p (|X(s–X(t|)|X(t)–X(u|)>f(u–s), 0 s t u 1, conditions are found which imply that the distributions –(n ^–1/p (X ₁+···+X _n )),n1, converge weakly inD[0, 1] to the distribution of ap-stable process. HereX ₁,X ₂, ... are independent copies ofX and _p (Z)=sup _t<0 t ^pP{|Z|<t} denotes the weakpth moment of a random variable Z.