 Solution

For independent identically distributed observations $Y_1,\dots ,Y_n$, the likelihood function and log-likelihood areA maximum-likelihood estimator is a measurable choice ${\hat{\theta }}_n\in {\mathrm{argmax}}_{\theta \in \Theta }{L}_n(\theta )$, when a maximizer exists. It need not be unique. The one-observation score function is $s_{\theta }(y)={\nabla }_{\theta }\log f(y,\theta )$, and the Fisher information matrix isUnder the regularity assumptions, differentiation beneath the integral gives ${\mathbb{E}}_{\theta }{s}_{\theta }={\nabla }_{\theta }\int f=0$. Differentiating again gives the second information identity. Independent observations have total Fisher information $nI(\theta )$.

Assume fixed parameter dimension, an interior true parameter ${\theta }_0$, a positive-definite matrix $I({\theta }_0)$, the standard differentiability and integrability conditions, and statistical consistency of ${\hat{\theta }}_n$. Then the asymptotic normality of a maximum likelihood estimator isHere $I$ is the information per observation. Thus the leading covariance matrix of the estimator itself is $I({\theta }_0{)}^{-1}/n$.

To prove this, statistical consistency places the estimator in an interior ball about ${\theta }_0$ with probability tending to one, where its score function vanishes. Write $d_n={\hat{\theta }}_n-{\theta }_0$ and use the integral first-order Taylor formula for a vector map:This integral matrix is needed in a vector problem; one does not have to assert a common scalar mean-value point for every score component. PutThe regular local uniform law of large numbers, continuity of the expected Hessian matrix, and statistical consistency give $J_n\stackrel{P}{\to }I({\theta }_0)$. The multivariate central limit theorem givesThe limiting information matrix is nonsingular, so $J_n^{-1}\stackrel{P}{\to }I({\theta }_0{)}^{-1}$. Solving the Taylor identity and applying the Slutsky theorem proves the displayed normal limit, since $I^{-1}I{I}^{-1}=I^{-1}$. Boundary parameters or singular information are outside this regular theorem.