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Theory of Statistics - George Mason University

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542 7 Statistical Hypotheses and Confidence Sets<br />

7.9 Optimal Confidence Sets<br />

Just as we refer to a test as being “valid” if the significance level <strong>of</strong> the test is<br />

not exceeded (that is, if the probability <strong>of</strong> rejecting a true null hypothesis is<br />

bounded by the level <strong>of</strong> significance), we refer to a a confidence interval that<br />

has a probability <strong>of</strong> at least the confidence level as being “correct”.<br />

We <strong>of</strong>ten evaluate a confidence set using a family <strong>of</strong> distributions that does<br />

not include the true parameter.<br />

For example, “accuracy” refers to the (true) probability <strong>of</strong> the set including<br />

an incorrect value. A confidence that is more accurate has a smaller probability<br />

<strong>of</strong> including a distribution that did not give rise to the sample. This is a general<br />

way relates to the size <strong>of</strong> the confidence set.<br />

Size <strong>of</strong> Confidence Sets<br />

The “volume” (or “length”) <strong>of</strong> a confidence set is the Lebesgue measure <strong>of</strong><br />

the set:<br />

<br />

vol(ΘS) = d˜ θ.<br />

This may not be finite.<br />

If the volume is finite, we have (Theorem 7.6 in MS2)<br />

<br />

Eθ(vol(ΘS)) =<br />

ΘS<br />

θ= ˜ Prθ(ΘS ∋<br />

θ<br />

˜ θ)d˜ θ.<br />

We see this by a simple application <strong>of</strong> Fubini’s theorem to handle the integral<br />

over the product space, and then an interchange <strong>of</strong> integration:<br />

Want to minimize volume (if appropriate; i.e., finite.)<br />

7.9.1 Most Accurate Confidence Set<br />

Accuracy <strong>of</strong> Confidence Sets<br />

**********Want to maximize accuracy.???????????<br />

Confidence sets can be thought <strong>of</strong> a a family <strong>of</strong> tests <strong>of</strong> hypotheses <strong>of</strong> the<br />

form θ ∈ H0( ˜ θ) versus θ ∈ H1( ˜ θ). A confidence set <strong>of</strong> size 1 − α is equivalent<br />

to a critical region S(X) such that<br />

Pr<br />

<br />

S(X) ∋ ˜ <br />

θ<br />

≥ 1 − α ∀ θ ∈ H0<br />

The power <strong>of</strong> the related tests is just<br />

<br />

Pr S(X) ∋ ˜ <br />

θ<br />

<br />

˜θ .<br />

for any θ. In testing hypotheses, we are concerned about maximizing this for<br />

θ ∈ H1( ˜ θ).<br />

<strong>Theory</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Statistics</strong> c○2000–2013 James E. Gentle

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