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Note on distribution free testing for discrete distributions

Abstract

The paper proposes one-to-one transformation of the vector of components {Yin}i=1m\{Y_{in}\}_{i=1}^m of Pearson's chi-square statistic, \[Y_{in}=\frac{\nu_{in}-np_i}{\sqrt{np_i}},\qquad i=1,\ldots,m,\] into another vector {Zin}i=1m\{Z_{in}\}_{i=1}^m, which, therefore, contains the same "statistical information," but is asymptotically distribution free. Hence any functional/test statistic based on {Zin}i=1m\{Z_{in}\}_{i=1}^m is also asymptotically distribution free. Natural examples of such test statistics are traditional goodness-of-fit statistics from partial sums IkZin\sum_{I\leq k}Z_{in}. The supplement shows how the approach works in the problem of independent interest: the goodness-of-fit testing of power-law distribution with the Zipf law and the Karlin-Rouault law as particular alternatives.

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