English

Size bias, sampling, the waiting time paradox, and infinite divisibility: when is the increment independent?

Probability 2010-07-23 v1 Statistics Theory Statistics Theory

Abstract

With XX^* denoting a random variable with the XX-size bias distribution, what are all distributions for XX such that it is possible to have X=X+YX^*=X+Y, Y0Y\geq 0, with XX and YY {\em independent}? We give the answer, due to Steutel \cite{steutel}, and also discuss the relations of size biasing to the waiting time paradox, renewal theory, sampling, tightness and uniform integrability, compound Poisson distributions, infinite divisibility, and the lognormal distributions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1007.3910,
  title  = {Size bias, sampling, the waiting time paradox, and infinite divisibility: when is the increment independent?},
  author = {Richard Arratia and Larry Goldstein},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1007.3910},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

30 pages