Chapter 19: Problem 1
Suppose our dataset is a realization of a random sample \(X_{1}, X_{2}, \ldots, X_{n}\) from a uniform distribution on the interval \([-\theta, \theta]\), where \(\theta\) is unknown. a. Show that $$ T=\frac{3}{n}\left(X_{1}^{2}+X_{2}^{2}+\cdots+X_{n}^{2}\right) $$ is an unbiased estimator for \(\theta^{2}\). b. Is \(\sqrt{T}\) also an unbiased estimator for \(\theta\) ? If not, argue whether it has positive or negative bias.
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understanding Bias of an Estimator
Compute Expected Value of Original Function
Show Unbiasedness of T
Assess \\sqrt{T} for Unbiasedness
Determine Bias Direction of \\sqrt{T}
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Uniform Distribution
- The uniform distribution on the interval a\ a, b\ ba (denoted as \( U[a, b] \)) assigns equal probability density to every point between \( a \) and \( b \).
- The probability density function (PDF) for a uniform distribution \( U[a, b] \) is given by \( \frac{1}{b-a} \) for \( x \) within \( [a, b] \).
Variance
- It gives us insights into the data's diversity and helps in estimating the degree of uncertainty involved.
- The formula for variance of a random variable \( X \) is given as \( \text{Var}(X) = E[X^2] - (E[X])^2 \).
Random Sample
- In statistical terms, each \( X_i \) in a random sample \( X_1, X_2, \ldots, X_n \) from \( U[-\theta, \theta] \) comes from the same distribution.
- This process assumes independence and identical distribution for all \( X_i \), which is crucial for valid estimator derivation.
Jensen's Inequality
- If \( f \) is a convex function, then the mean of \( f(X) \) will be greater than or equal to the value obtained by putting the mean into \( f \).
- If \( f \) is a concave function, as it is with \( \sqrt{x} \), the inequality flips: \( E[\sqrt{T}] \leq \sqrt{E[T]} \).