Ayana Mateus

Estimation based on probability-weighted moments is a well-established method and an excellent alternative to the classic method of moments or the maximum likelihood method, especially for small sample sizes. In this research, we developed a new class of estimators for the parameters of the Pareto type I distribution. A generalization of the probability-weighted moments approach is the foundation for this new class of estimators. It has the advantage of being valid in the entire parameter space of the Pareto distribution. We established the asymptotic normality of the new estimators and applied them to simulated and real datasets in order to illustrate their finite sample behavior. The results of comparisons with the most used estimation methods were also analyzed.

The log-logistic distribution is widely used in different fields of study such as survival analysis, hydrology, insurance, and economics. Recently, Ahsanullah and Alzaatreh studied the best linear unbiased estimators for the location and the scale parameters of the three-parameter log-logistic model. The same authors also propose a shift-invariant Hill estimator for the unknown shape parameter. In this work, we propose a new estimation method for the shape parameter. We derive its nondegenerate asymptotic behaviour and analyse its finite sample performance through a Monte Carlo simulation study. To have precise estimates, we present a method for selecting the threshold. To illustrate the improvement achieved, efficiency comparisons are also provided.