4.II.13I

Statistical Modelling
Part II, 2005

(i) Suppose that Y1,,YnY_{1}, \ldots, Y_{n} are independent random variables, and that YiY_{i} has probability density function

f(yiβ,ν)=(νyiμi)νeyiν/μi1Γ(ν)1yi for yi>0f\left(y_{i} \mid \beta, \nu\right)=\left(\frac{\nu y_{i}}{\mu_{i}}\right)^{\nu} e^{-y_{i} \nu / \mu_{i}} \frac{1}{\Gamma(\nu)} \frac{1}{y_{i}} \text { for } y_{i}>0

where

1/μi=βTxi, for 1in,1 / \mu_{i}=\beta^{T} x_{i}, \text { for } \quad 1 \leqslant i \leqslant n,

and x1,,xnx_{1}, \ldots, x_{n} are given pp-dimensional vectors, and ν\nu is known.

Show that E(Yi)=μi\mathbb{E}\left(Y_{i}\right)=\mu_{i} and that var(Yi)=μi2/ν\operatorname{var}\left(Y_{i}\right)=\mu_{i}^{2} / \nu.

(ii) Find the equation for β^\hat{\beta}, the maximum likelihood estimator of β\beta, and suggest an iterative scheme for its solution.

(iii) If p=2p=2, and xi=(1zi)x_{i}=\left(\begin{array}{c}1 \\ z_{i}\end{array}\right), find the large-sample distribution of β^2\hat{\beta}_{2}. Write your answer in terms of a,b,ca, b, c and ν\nu, where a,b,ca, b, c are defined by

a=μi2,b=ziμi2,c=zi2μi2.a=\sum \mu_{i}^{2}, \quad b=\sum z_{i} \mu_{i}^{2}, \quad c=\sum z_{i}^{2} \mu_{i}^{2} .