 Solution

Assume independent samples $X_1,\dots ,X_n$ and $Y_1,\dots ,Y_m$, each consisting of independent normal random variables, with respective means ${\mu }_1,{\mu }_2$ and a common unknown variance ${\sigma }^2>0$. Take $n,m\ge 2$. Normality, independence and equal variances are the assumptions giving the exact pooled Student's t-test; unequal variances would require a different test. We test $H_0:{\mu }_1={\mu }_2$ against an unrestricted difference.

Put $N=n+m$ andThe normal likelihood is proportional to $({\sigma }^2{)}^{-N/2}\exp [-S/(2{\sigma }^2)]$, where $S$ is the residual sum of squares. Under the unrestricted model, the maximizing means are $\bar{X},\bar{Y}$ and $S=W$. Under $H_0$, the maximizing common mean is $(n\bar{X}+m\bar{Y})/N$ and decomposition about the sample means gives $S=W+B$. For either model, maximizing over variance gives ${\hat{\sigma }}^2=S/N$. Thus the generalized likelihood-ratio test statistic isSmall $\Lambda$ is therefore equivalent to large $|T|$.

Under the null, $Z=(\bar{X}-\bar{Y})/[\sigma \sqrt{1/n+1/m}]$ is standard normal. In each sample an orthogonal change of Gaussian coordinates separates the sample-mean coordinate from the centered residual coordinates; those coordinates are independent. Consequently $V=W/{\sigma }^2$ has a chi-squared distribution with $N-2$ degrees of freedom and is independent of $Z$. Therefore $T=Z/\sqrt{V/(N-2)}$ has the Student's t-distribution with $N-2$ degrees of freedom. At significance level $\alpha$, reject exactly when $\boxed{|T|>t_{N-2,1-\alpha /2}}$, the two-sample pooled t-test.