Skip to main content
Log in

Efficient recursive computational algorithms for multivariate t and multivariate unified skew-t distributions with applications to inference

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Computational Statistics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we establish efficient recursive algorithms for the computation of the cumulative distribution function (cdf) of multivariate Student’s t and multivariate unified skew-t distributions. The recurrence relations are over \(\nu \) (the degrees of freedom), and starting from the explicit results for \(\nu \)=1 and \(\nu \)=2, they enable the recursive evaluation of the cdf for any positive integral value of \(\nu \). Using these, we obtain results for the computation of orthant probabilities of multivariate Student’s t distribution. We then demonstrate the usefulness of the established results in some problems involving order statistics and reliability systems. Finally, we use two real data sets to illustrate the methods established here.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adcock C, Eling M, Loperfido N (2015) Skewed distributions in finance and actuarial science: a review. The European Journal of Finance 21(13–14):1253–1281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arellano-Valle RB, Genton MG (2007) On the exact distribution of linear combinations of order statistics from dependent random variables. Journal of Multivariate Analysis 98(10):1876–1894

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Arellano-Valle RB, Genton MG (2010) Multivariate extended skew-\(t\) distributions and related families. Metron 68(3):201–234

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Azzalini A, Capitanio A (2003) Distributions generated by perturbation of symmetry with emphasis on a multivariate skew \(t\) distribution. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B 65(2):367–389

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Azzalini A, Dalla-Valle A (1996) The multivariate skew-normal distribution. Biometrika 83(4):715–726

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Azzalini A, Genton MG (2008) Robust likelihood methods based on the skew-t and related distributions. International Statistical Review 76(1):106–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bacon RH (1963) Approximations to multivariate normal orthant probabilities. The Annals of Mathematical Statistics 34(1):191–198

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Cook RD, Johnson ME (1986) Generalized Burr Pareto logistic distributions with applications to a uranium exploration data set. Technometrics 28:123–131

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Fang K, Kotz S, Ng KW (1990) Symmetric Multivariate and Related Distributions. Chapman & Hall, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • González-Farías, G., Domínquez-Molina, A. and Gupta A.K.(2004). Additive properties of skew normal random vectors. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, 126(2), 521-534

  • González-Farías, G., Domínquez-Molina, A. and Gupta A.K.(2004). The closed skew-normal distribution. In: Skew-Elliptical Distributions and Their Applications: A Journey Beyond Normality, Genton, M. G., Ed., Chapman & Hall / CRC, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 25-42

  • Jamalizadeh A, Balakrishnan N (2009) Order statistics from trivariate normal and \(t_{\nu }\)-distributions in terms of generalized skew-normal and skew-\(t_{\nu }\) distributions. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference 139(11):3799–3819

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Jamalizadeh A, Balakrishnan N (2010) Distributions of order statistics and linear combinations of order statistics from an elliptical distribution as mixtures of unified skew-elliptical distributions. Journal of Multivariate Analysis 101(6):1412–1427

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Jamalizadeh A, Balakrishnan N (2012) Concomitants of order statistics from multivariate elliptical distributions. Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference 142(2):397–409

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Jamalizadeh A, Khosravi M, Balakrishnan N (2009a) Recurrence relations for distributions of a skew-\(t\) and a linear combination of order statistics from a bivariate-\(t\). Computational Statistics & Data Analysis 53(4):847–852

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Jamalizadeh A, Mehrali Y, Balakrishnan N (2009b) Recurrence relations for bivariate \(t\) and extended skew-\(t\) distributions and an application to order statistics from bivariate \(t\). Computational Statistics & Data Analysis 53(12):4018–4027

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Kalbfleisch JD, Prentice RL (2002) The Statistical Analysis of Failure Time Data, 2nd edn. John Wiley & Sons, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kotz S, Balakrishnan N, Johnson NL (2000) Continuous Multivariate Distributions-Vol. 1, 2nd edn. John Wiley & Sons, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kotz S, Nadarajah S (2004) Multivariate t-distributions and Their Applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Loperfido N, Navarro J, Ruiz JM, Sandoval CJ (2007) Some relationships between skew-normal distributions and order statistics from exchangeable normal random vectors. Communications in Statistics- Theory and Methods 36:1719–1733

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Kelkin Nama M, Asadi M (2014) Stochastic properties of components in a used coherent system. Methodology and Computing in Applied Probability 16(3):675–691

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Tong, Y.L. (2012). The Multivariate Normal Distribution, Springer, New York.s

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere thanks to the Editor and the anonymous reviewers for all their useful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this manuscript which led to this improved version.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mehdi Amiri.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Amiri, M., Mehrali, Y., Balakrishnan, N. et al. Efficient recursive computational algorithms for multivariate t and multivariate unified skew-t distributions with applications to inference. Comput Stat 37, 125–158 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00180-021-01119-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00180-021-01119-x

Keywords

Navigation