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Locally most powerful sequential tests of a simple hypothesis vs one-sided alternatives

Abstract

Let X1,X2,...X_1,X_2,... be a discrete-time stochastic process with a distribution PθP_\theta, θΘ\theta\in\Theta, where Θ\Theta is an open subset of the real line. We consider the problem of testing a simple hypothesis H0:H_0: θ=θ0\theta=\theta_0 versus a composite alternative H1:H_1: θ>θ0\theta>\theta_0, where θ0Θ\theta_0\in\Theta is some fixed point. The main goal of this article is to characterize the structure of locally most powerful sequential tests in this problem. For any sequential test (ψ,ϕ)(\psi,\phi) with a (randomized) stopping rule ψ\psi and a (randomized) decision rule ϕ\phi let α(ψ,ϕ)\alpha(\psi,\phi) be the type I error probability, β˙0(ψ,ϕ)\dot \beta_0(\psi,\phi) the derivative, at θ=θ0\theta=\theta_0, of the power function, and N(ψ)\mathscr N(\psi) an average sample number of the test (ψ,ϕ)(\psi,\phi). Then we are concerned with the problem of maximizing β˙0(ψ,ϕ)\dot \beta_0(\psi,\phi) in the class of all sequential tests such that α(ψ,ϕ)αandN(ψ)N, \alpha(\psi,\phi)\leq \alpha\quad{and}\quad \mathscr N(\psi)\leq \mathscr N, where α[0,1]\alpha\in[0,1] and N1\mathscr N\geq 1 are some restrictions. It is supposed that N(ψ)\mathscr N(\psi) is calculated under some fixed (not necessarily coinciding with one of PθP_\theta) distribution of the process X1,X2...X_1,X_2.... The structure of optimal sequential tests is characterized.

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