Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-probability-statistics-and-options-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2007/o/2/solution
Past exam of the probability, statistics and options I course of the University of Oxford 2007 O 2 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
The statistical power of a test is , its rejection probability at parameter . Its size is ; for a simple null this is just .
The Neyman-Pearson lemma states that for testing a simple null probability density function against a simple alternative probability density function , a test rejecting where , accepting where it is below , and if needed randomizing on equality to attain the desired size is most powerful among all tests of that size. It follows by integrating and using the size constraint.
The proposed probability density function is nonnegative, andFor an independent sample, cancellation of the factors in the likelihood ratio givesFor this is increasing in . The most powerful test therefore has rejection regionThe sum has a continuous positive probability density function on , so no boundary randomization is required. The threshold depends on the null and chosen size, but not on which was specified. The same test is therefore a uniformly most powerful test for the composite alternative .
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