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Maximum Likelihood Methods for Fitting the Burr Type XII Distribution to Life Test Data
Author(s) -
Wingo D. R.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
biometrical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-4036
pISSN - 0323-3847
DOI - 10.1002/bimj.19830250109
Subject(s) - mathematics , likelihood function , restricted maximum likelihood , maximum likelihood , likelihood ratio test , estimation theory , statistics , score test , maximum likelihood sequence estimation , likelihood principle , a priori and a posteriori , expectation–maximization algorithm , quasi maximum likelihood , philosophy , epistemology
This paper describes mathematical and computational methodology for estimating the parameters of the Burr Type XII distribution by the method of maximum likelihood. Expressions for the asymptotic variances and covariances of the parameter estimates are given, and the modality of the log‐likelihood and conditional log‐likelihood functions is analyzed. As a result of this analysis for various a priori known and unknown parameter combinations, conditions are given which guarantee that the parameter estimates obtained will, indeed, be maximum likelihood estimates. An efficient numerical method for maximizing the conditional log‐likelihood function is described, and mathematical expressions are given for the various numerical approximations needed to evaluate the expressions given for the asymptotic variances and covariances of the parameter estimates. The methodology discussed is applied in a numerical example to life test data arising in a clinical setting.