A best linear unbiased estimator minimizes covariance among linear estimators unbiased for the same target. In , assume , is a full-column-rank design matrix and the known covariance matrix is a positive-definite matrix. The best linear unbiased estimator of the coefficient vector is . A spatial trend estimate excludes the correlated residual prediction included in universal kriging.
In a Gaussian linear mixed model with , the conditional multivariate normal distribution of given has mean and covariance matrix . When nonsingular, its mean is also its mode. Estimated parameters yield empirical conditional modes and shrink group deviations toward zero. At a zero variance component the associated effect is degenerate at zero; the covariance formula still applies, whereas formulas involving require limits.
For with a known positive-definite matrix , the maximum-likelihood estimator of is . It is unbiased with variance , attaining the Cramer-Rao bound. It is also the best linear unbiased estimator. Pairwise admissible correlation coefficients alone do not ensure that is a valid covariance matrix; the entire matrix must be symmetric and a positive semidefinite matrix. Inverse-based formulas require positive definiteness.
A subject-specific random intercept and random slope may have a joint bivariate normal distribution with arbitrary positive-definite covariance matrix . With independent normal measurement errors of variance , the marginal covariance between a person's readings at is , plus on the diagonal. Different subjects remain independent. Allowing distinguishes this model from an independent random-intercept and random-slope model.
Crossed random effects 2026-10-05
Random effects are crossed when an observation can belong to levels of two grouping factors without one grouping factor being nested within the other. Independent location intercepts and incubator slopes, for example, contribute separate terms to the observation covariance matrix.
For a full-rank ordinary least squares design matrix, the hat matrix and residual projection satisfy . Hence fitted values and regression residuals are perpendicular as observed vectors. Under isotropic errors their cross-covariance matrix is zero, and under a normal linear model the two vectors are independent.
Let , let , and propose
The proposal distribution is . If independently of , then is a jointly multivariate normal distribution invariant under exchanging and , because both random vectors have covariance matrix and their cross-covariance matrices are both . Consequently its density satisfies
where is the standard-normal density. Thus the proposal is reversible with respect to the standard normal distribution.
Gaussian graphical model 2026-10-06
For a nondegenerate multivariate normal distribution, the conditional independence graph is read from zeros in its precision matrix. Conditional independence of two components given all others is equivalent to a zero cross term in their conditional Gaussian quadratic density, hence to . It does not generally correspond to a zero in the covariance matrix.
For , with independent and , the multivariate normal distribution of the Bayesian posterior has posterior mean and covariance matrix . The singular value decomposition shows that the variance on a right singular vector of nonzero singular value is , while the variance along the null space is one. Thus, for fixed data, the mean tends to the minimum-norm least-squares solution and the covariance tends to the orthogonal projection onto the null space. Unobserved components retain their prior distribution even as the noise vanishes.
Gaussian random vector Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
A Gaussian random vector has a multivariate normal distribution; equivalently, every real linear combination of its coordinates is a normal random variable, allowing zero variance. Its expected value vector and covariance matrix determine its law. Subvectors are independent when their cross-covariances vanish, a feature particular to joint Gaussianity.
If are independent and identically distributed random variables with a centered multivariate normal distribution and covariance matrix , then has the same probability law as . Its two marginal covariance matrices are and its cross-covariance is zero. The pair has a multivariate normal distribution, so the two components are independent. This remains valid when is singular.
For independent clusters with mean vector and positive definite working covariance matrix , a generalized estimating equation solves
Correct mean specification and regularity can give a consistent estimator of identifiable mean coefficients despite a misspecified working covariance. A sandwich covariance matrix accounts for actual cluster variation. Mean equations alone cannot identify two parameters that always enter through the same combination.
For a finite support whose convex hull has full dimension, every interior target mean is realized by a unique natural parameter. Minimize the coercive function ; its gradient is the mean discrepancy and its Hessian matrix is the positive-definite covariance matrix of the support.
A least-favourable configuration maximizes a test procedure’s Type I error probability over allowed null hypothesis parameters. For one-sided normal comparisons with a fixed covariance matrix, coupling by common centered variables shows monotonicity in the means. For the familywise error rate, mixed true and false null configurations must also be checked.
The mean-vector prediction risk measures squared Euclidean norm error in estimating the deterministic response mean. For independent future noise with covariance matrix , prediction of a new noisy response adds to this risk. A Gaussian orthogonal projection matrix of rank has risk .
Ordinary least squares estimators Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
In simple linear regression with a nonconstant predictor,