(1) The document discusses maximum likelihood estimation for several probability distributions. For an exponential distribution with parameter θ, the MLE of θ is consistent but not unbiased based on a sample of n observations. The MLE of λ is not necessarily unbiased.
(2) For a uniform distribution on (0,θ), the MLE θˆMLE = X(n) , the maximum observation, is shown to be consistent. Its distribution and mean are derived. An unbiased estimator θˆU is obtained by removing bias.
(3) For a binomial distribution with parameter p, the MLE pˆ = X/n, where X is the number of successes, is shown to be consistent
(1) The document discusses maximum likelihood estimation for several probability distributions. For an exponential distribution with parameter θ, the MLE of θ is consistent but not unbiased based on a sample of n observations. The MLE of λ is not necessarily unbiased.
(2) For a uniform distribution on (0,θ), the MLE θˆMLE = X(n) , the maximum observation, is shown to be consistent. Its distribution and mean are derived. An unbiased estimator θˆU is obtained by removing bias.
(3) For a binomial distribution with parameter p, the MLE pˆ = X/n, where X is the number of successes, is shown to be consistent
1. Let X be distributed with density function fX (x; ) = 1 ex/ , for x > 0.
(Remark: This is the usual exponential distribution parameterized in terms of the mean ; an alternative parameterization is in terms of = 1/, in which case the mean is 1/ and the variance 1/2 ) (a) Obtain the MLE of based on a sample of n independent observations. (b) Is it: i) Consistent? ii) Unbiased? (c) Is the MLE estimator of unbiased? 2. Consider the MLE estimator of in a U (0, ) distribution, based on n independent observations X1 , . . . , Xn . We already know know M LE = X(n) = max{X1 , . . . , Xn }. (a) Show that it is consistent. (Hint: You can follow a direct approach here. Fix a neighborhood of of arbitrary width and show that for sufficiently large n, the probability of being there is as close to 1 as desired.) (b) Find the distribution, then the density of M LE = X(n) . (Hint: F (x) = P (M LE x) = P (n Xi x).) i=1
M LE
(c) Find the mean of M LE . Remove the bias to obtain an unbiased
estimator U . (d) Find the variance of U . (Hint: Make use of the fact that 2 = 2 m2 ; you have computed the mean m in the previous step, so you only need 2 .) (e) What is the convergence rate to zero of the variance you have found? 3. When we take a sample of n independent observations X1 , . . . , Xn from a b(p) distribution, we have found that the MLE is X, the number of ones divided by the number of throws. Show that it is is consistent.