Statistics: describing a best critical region of size alpha.

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves determining a best critical region of size α for testing the null hypothesis H₀: θ = 0 against the alternative hypothesis H₁: θ = 1, based on a sample of size 10 drawn from a specific probability density function.

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Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the likelihood ratio and its simplification, questioning the correct representation of the samples and their distributions. There are attempts to derive inequalities involving the likelihoods and to analyze the properties of related functions.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the likelihood ratio and its implications, while others have raised questions about the assumptions made regarding the samples. There is an ongoing exploration of the mathematical properties of functions involved in the analysis.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted confusion regarding the representation of sample values and their independence, as well as the terminology used to describe the concavity of functions involved in the discussion.

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Homework Statement



Suppose a sample of size 10 is drawn from a distribution with probability density function ##f(x, \theta) = 2x^{\theta}(1-x)^{1-\theta}## if ##0<x<1## and ##0## otherwise, where ##\theta \in \{0,1\}##. Describe a best critical region of size ##\alpha## for testing ##H_0 : \theta = 0## against the alternative hypothesis ##H_1 : \theta =1##.

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



We need ##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} \leq k## for some ##k < 1##

We find that ##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} = \frac{2(1-x_1)2(1-x_2)...2(1-x_{10})}{2x_12x_2...2x_{10}} = \frac{(1-x_1)(1-x_2)...(1-x_{10})}{x_1x_2...x_{10}}##. Now I want to simplify ##\frac{(1-x_1)(1-x_2)...(1-x_{10})}{x_1x_2...x_{10}} \leq k## to see if I can turn this into a distribution that looks more familiar. But for some reason I wasn't able to do anything, so I was wondering if somebody would give me a hint so I can continue...

Thanks in advance
 
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Artusartos said:

Homework Statement



Suppose a sample of size 10 is drawn from a distribution with probability density function ##f(x, \theta) = 2x^{\theta}(1-x)^{1-\theta}## if ##0<x<1## and ##0## otherwise, where ##\theta \in \{0,1\}##. Describe a best critical region of size ##\alpha## for testing ##H_0 : \theta = 0## against the alternative hypothesis ##H_1 : \theta =1##.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



We need ##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} \leq k## for some ##k < 1##

We find that ##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} = \frac{2(1-x_1)2(1-x_2)...2(1-x_{10})}{2x_12x_2...2x_{10}} = \frac{(1-x_1)(1-x_2)...(1-x_{10})}{x_1x_2...x_{10}}##. Now I want to simplify ##\frac{(1-x_1)(1-x_2)...(1-x_{10})}{x_1x_2...x_{10}} \leq k## to see if I can turn this into a distribution that looks more familiar. But for some reason I wasn't able to do anything, so I was wondering if somebody would give me a hint so I can continue...

Thanks in advance

You should not have ##x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_{10}##. All samples are drawn from the same distribution, with some fixed but unknown ##x##.
 
Ray Vickson said:
You should not have ##x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_{10}##. All samples are drawn from the same distribution, with some fixed but unknown ##x##.

Thanks a lot.

We have,

##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} = \frac{(1-x)^{10}}{x^{10}} = (\frac{1-x}{x})^{10}##

So,

##(\frac{1-x}{x})^{10} \leq k##

## \implies (\frac{1-x}{x}) \leq k^{1/10}##

##\implies \ln (\frac{1-x}{x}) \leq \frac{1}{10} \ln(k) ##

Let ##k' = \frac{1}{10} \ln(k)##, and let ##g(x) = \ln (\frac{1-x}{x})##. We can see that the second derivative of ##g(x)## is ##\frac{1}{1-x^2} + \frac{1}{x^2}##, which is positive for ##0 < x < 1##. So the function is concave upward.

But then ##g(x) \leq k'## is equivalent to ##c < x < c'## for some ##c## and ##c'## such that, for all ##x \leq c## and ##x \geq c'##, we have ##g(x) > k'##.

But we already have the distribution for ##X##, right?
 
Artusartos said:
Thanks a lot.

We have,

##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} = \frac{(1-x)^{10}}{x^{10}} = (\frac{1-x}{x})^{10}##

So,

##(\frac{1-x}{x})^{10} \leq k##

## \implies (\frac{1-x}{x}) \leq k^{1/10}##

##\implies \ln (\frac{1-x}{x}) \leq \frac{1}{10} \ln(k) ##

Let ##k' = \frac{1}{10} \ln(k)##, and let ##g(x) = \ln (\frac{1-x}{x})##. We can see that the second derivative of ##g(x)## is ##\frac{1}{1-x^2} + \frac{1}{x^2}##, which is positive for ##0 < x < 1##. So the function is concave upward.

But then ##g(x) \leq k'## is equivalent to ##c < x < c'## for some ##c## and ##c'## such that, for all ##x \leq c## and ##x \geq c'##, we have ##g(x) > k'##.

But we already have the distribution for ##X##, right?

You claim that ##g(x) = \ln (\frac{1-x}{x})## is a convex function (I refuse to use the old-fashioned terms concave up or concave down), but that is false: you have computed ##g''(x)## incorrectly. The function g(x) switches from convex to concave as x increases from 0 to 1.
 
Ray Vickson said:
You claim that ##g(x) = \ln (\frac{1-x}{x})## is a convex function (I refuse to use the old-fashioned terms concave up or concave down), but that is false: you have computed ##g''(x)## incorrectly. The function g(x) switches from convex to concave as x increases from 0 to 1.

Thanks. But we do know that ##\frac{1-x}{x}## is convex...so we can come up with a similar result, right? (without taking the ln of both sides). Is that right?
 
Ray Vickson said:
(I refuse to use the old-fashioned terms concave up or concave down)

Damn! I must of missed when they went out of fashion.
 
Ray Vickson said:
You should not have ##x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_{10}##. All samples are drawn from the same distribution, with some fixed but unknown ##x##.
The samples DO NOT have the same fixed but unknown x.
He should have the subscripts. It is true that the x values are from the same distribution, but calling each one x is not correct. In particular, the ratio of likelihoods at 0 and 1 IS NOT

<br /> \frac{(1-x)^{10}}{x^{10}}<br />

Look, for example, at the relevant sections of an introductory text such as Hogg/Craig or intermediate texts like Bickel and Doksum, or any more recent mathematical stat text.
 
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LCKurtz said:
Damn! I must of missed when they went out of fashion.


Most modern optimization textbooks (say, written after about the mid 1960s) seem to have abandoned the concave up/down nomenclature. Calculus texts often still use it, though. I guess it has not been standardized.
 
Artusartos said:
Thanks a lot.

We have,

##\frac{L(0)}{L(1)} = \frac{(1-x)^{10}}{x^{10}} = (\frac{1-x}{x})^{10}##

So,

##(\frac{1-x}{x})^{10} \leq k##

## \implies (\frac{1-x}{x}) \leq k^{1/10}##

##\implies \ln (\frac{1-x}{x}) \leq \frac{1}{10} \ln(k) ##

Let ##k' = \frac{1}{10} \ln(k)##, and let ##g(x) = \ln (\frac{1-x}{x})##. We can see that the second derivative of ##g(x)## is ##\frac{1}{1-x^2} + \frac{1}{x^2}##, which is positive for ##0 < x < 1##. So the function is concave upward.

But then ##g(x) \leq k'## is equivalent to ##c < x < c'## for some ##c## and ##c'## such that, for all ##x \leq c## and ##x \geq c'##, we have ##g(x) > k'##.

But we already have the distribution for ##X##, right?

Sorry: I take back what I said at first: I guess ##X## is the random variable and ##\theta## the parameter, so you should have ##x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_{10}##! I am going to stop posting very late at night as an insomnia cure.

I think I see your problem, but can only tell you what I would do if I were a Bayesian. As a Bayesian, I would essentially view ##\theta## as a random quantity with prior probabilities
P\{\theta = 0 \} = p_0, \: P\{ \theta = 1 \} = q_0 \equiv 1 - p_0.
The posterior probabilities would be
P\{ \theta = 0 | x_1, x_2 , \ldots, x_n \} = <br /> \frac{p_0 f(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n|\theta = 0)}{f(x_1,x_2, \ldots, x_n)}, \text{ where}\\<br /> f(x_1,x_2, \ldots, x_n) = p_0 f(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n|\theta = 0) <br /> + q_0 f(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n|\theta = 1) \text{ and}\\<br /> f(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n|\theta = 0) = 2^n (1-x_1)(1-x_2) \cdots (1-x_n), \;<br /> f(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n|\theta = 1) = 2^n x_1 x_2 \cdots x_n
with ##P\{ \theta = 1 | x_1, x_2 , \ldots, x_n \}= 1-P\{ \theta = 0 | x_1, x_2 , \ldots, x_n \}.##
Thus, if we set ##P = x_1 x_2 \cdots x_n##, ##Q = (1-x_1)(1-x_2) \cdots (1-x_n),## and if we had a uniform prior (##p_0 = q_0 = 1/2##) we would have
P\{\theta = 1|X\} = \frac{Q}{Q+P}.

I'm not sure what you would do if you were not a Bayesian.
 
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