Question

Let X1,X2......X7 denote a random sample from a population having mean μ and variance σ. Consider the following estimators of μ:

θ1=X1+X2+......+X7 / 7
θ2= (2X1-X3+X5) / 2

a. Is either estimator unbiased?
b. Which estimator is best? In what sense is it best? Calculate the relative efficiency of the 2 estimtors.

Answer 1

Answer:

a) In order to check if an estimator is unbiased we need to check this condition:

$E(\theta) = \mu$

And we can find the expected value of each estimator like this:

$E(\theta_1 ) = \frac{1}{7} E(X_1 +X_2 +... +X_7) = \frac{1}{7} [E(X_1) +E(X_2) +....+E(X_7)]= \frac{1}{7} 7\mu= \mu$

So then we conclude that $\theta_1$ is unbiased.

For the second estimator we have this:

$E(\theta_2) = \frac{1}{2} [2E(X_1) -E(X_3) +E(X_5)]=\frac{1}{2} [2\mu -\mu +\mu] = \frac{1}{2} [2\mu]= \mu$

And then we conclude that $\theta_2$ is unbiaed too.

b) For this case first we need to find the variance of each estimator:

$Var(\theta_1) = \frac{1}{49} (Var(X_1) +...+Var(X_7))= \frac{1}{49} (7\sigma^2) = \frac{\sigma^2}{7}$

And for the second estimator we have this:

$Var(\theta_2) = \frac{1}{4} (4\sigma^2 -\sigma^2 +\sigma^2)= \frac{1}{4} (4\sigma^2)= \sigma^2$

And the relative efficiency is given by:

$RE= \frac{Var(\theta_1)}{Var(\theta_2)}=\frac{\frac{\sigma^2}{7}}{\sigma^2}= \frac{1}{7}$

Step-by-step explanation:

For this case we assume that we have a random sample given by: $X_1, X_2,....,X_7$ and each $X_i \sim N (\mu, \sigma)$

Part a

In order to check if an estimator is unbiased we need to check this condition:

$E(\theta) = \mu$

And we can find the expected value of each estimator like this:

$E(\theta_1 ) = \frac{1}{7} E(X_1 +X_2 +... +X_7) = \frac{1}{7} [E(X_1) +E(X_2) +....+E(X_7)]= \frac{1}{7} 7\mu= \mu$

So then we conclude that $\theta_1$ is unbiased.

For the second estimator we have this:

$E(\theta_2) = \frac{1}{2} [2E(X_1) -E(X_3) +E(X_5)]=\frac{1}{2} [2\mu -\mu +\mu] = \frac{1}{2} [2\mu]= \mu$

And then we conclude that $\theta_2$ is unbiaed too.

Part b

For this case first we need to find the variance of each estimator:

$Var(\theta_1) = \frac{1}{49} (Var(X_1) +...+Var(X_7))= \frac{1}{49} (7\sigma^2) = \frac{\sigma^2}{7}$

And for the second estimator we have this:

$Var(\theta_2) = \frac{1}{4} (4\sigma^2 -\sigma^2 +\sigma^2)= \frac{1}{4} (4\sigma^2)= \sigma^2$

And the relative efficiency is given by:

$RE= \frac{Var(\theta_1)}{Var(\theta_2)}=\frac{\frac{\sigma^2}{7}}{\sigma^2}= \frac{1}{7}$