Define the autoregressive polynomial and the moving-average polynomial . The standard causality and invertibility root criteria for an ARMA model are
In the usual minimal autoregressive moving-average model, the two polynomials have no common roots. Under that convention, these are the necessary and sufficient root conditions for a causal and invertible representation with the given noise. Without minimality they remain sufficient; shared factors must be considered before claiming necessity.
To see why the conditions work, both ratios and are analytic on a disc of radius greater than one. Their power series coefficients therefore decay geometrically and are absolutely summable. The backshift operator then gives a well-defined mean-square convergent causal time-series representation
Filtering white noise by these fixed coefficients gives a weakly stationary process. The identity verifies the original equation. Multiplication by the absolutely summable inverse of also shows uniqueness among finite-variance stationary solutions. Similarly gives the invertible time-series representation.
Comparing coefficients in derives the first of the ARMA coefficient recursions:
Here for negative , , and for , so in particular . For the inverse filter, compare coefficients in . With , for , for , and for negative indices, this gives
The minus sign in the inverse recursion comes from moving the nonconstant moving-average terms to the other side.
For the first-order model, the standard uncancelled conditions are and . The geometric power series expansions give
Thus the ARMA(1,1) causal and inverse coefficients are
At these give and , including zero-valued parameters without any negative powers. If , the filtered process reduces to and all later coefficients vanish. This common factor cancellation in an ARMA model is why the root inequalities should not be advertised as necessary for every nonminimal parameterization. The stated inequalities still ensure uniqueness for the original equation as well as the desired causal and invertible filters.