Let be the at-risk process and the counting process for observed events. Over a short interval, the multiplicative-intensity model gives
where is the hazard function and the cumulative hazard function. Solving this relation for the infinitesimal hazard increment suggests . Summing over distinct event times gives the Nelson–Aalen estimator
where events occur among individuals at risk. Here there are no ties, so .
Put . The difference between the two Nelson–Aalen estimator increments is
Therefore the log-rank weights
make each summand of equal the corresponding summand of , and hence .
Let and . Applying the Nelson–Aalen estimator separately to group gives
with a zero contribution when the event at occurs in the other group.