Let have probability mass function satisfying for . Let independent positive integer claim sizes have probability mass function , independently of . The aggregate probability mass function satisfies the displayed recursion, with . To prove it, write for the count, severity and aggregate probability generating functions. The count recurrence gives . Since , the chain rule gives . Comparing coefficients of gives the recursion. The forcing term distinguishes this algorithm from the usual Panjer recursion. For a zero-truncated Poisson distribution with parameter , take , and .
Write , and for the three probability generating functions. Since both the claim count and every claim size are positive, . Conditioning on the count and using independence gives the random-sum transform identity
The crucial point is that the count recurrence begins at . Multiplying it by and summing, we obtain
Consequently . The chain rule applied to the aggregate probability generating function therefore gives
These identities hold inside the unit disk, or as identities of formal power series. Since , every coefficient of the composition depends on only finitely many count probabilities.
Compare the coefficient of . The product contributes , and contributes . Hence
The required aggregate recursion for zero-truncated Panjer counts is initialized by and , and for every it is
The empty sum at is zero. Every term on the right is known or has a smaller aggregate index. Omitting would incorrectly apply the usual Panjer recursion with a zero initial value, producing zero for every aggregate probability.
For the zero-truncated Poisson distribution, for , so , and , with . Thus
As a direct probability generating function check, and therefore ; differentiation reproduces this recursion.
With and , the recurrence is . Iteration gives . Since , normalization gives
Hence the claim count distribution is a Poisson distribution of mean , and the Panjer recursion begins at .
Here , so iteration gives
The negative-binomial series , valid for , normalizes this to
This is the negative binomial distribution counting failures before the th success, with success probability . The convention is specified because a negative-binomial variable is sometimes defined to count trials instead. Its count expected value is , and the Panjer recursion begins at . For this reduces to the failure-count geometric distribution.
Let , , and be the count, claim-size and aggregate probability generating functions. Independence in the aggregate claims model gives
The Panjer claim-count class recurrence can be written . Multiply by and sum to obtain
Using the chain rule in then yields
The coefficient of on the left is , where the term is zero. On the right it is . Rearranging gives the Panjer recursion
The initial value is because all claim sizes are positive: zero total loss occurs exactly when . Only already computed aggregate probabilities occur on the right. The count normalization determines from as well: with and , we have and . The assumed valid count law makes this sum finite.
Finally must be positive. If it were zero, the recurrence would make every zero, contradicting normalization. At the recurrence therefore gives
This proves the sign constraint without assuming any particular count family. The three parts below also provide explicit initial probabilities for the aggregate recursion.
Let , and be the probability generating functions of , one severity, and , respectively. Positivity of the severities gives and ; the random-sum transform identity gives . The count recurrence in the Panjer claim-count class implies
Use the chain rule and substitute to obtain
Equating the coefficient of gives
The factor multiplying after rearrangement is . Therefore the Panjer recursion is
These power-series calculations are valid inside the convergence discs of the probability generating functions, and hence justify the coefficient identities without assumptions about positive exponential moments.
For a Poisson distribution count, , so and . The aggregate recursion becomes
To obtain a moment recursion, write , , and . For nonnegative measurable , conditioning on and using exchangeability of the severities gives
where on the right is independent of . The second equality uses , the Poisson size-bias identity. Choosing , applying the binomial theorem, and using independence proves the raw moment recursion for a compound Poisson distribution:
For any particular , a finite severity th moment suffices: , and the Poisson distribution has finite moments of every order. No positive moment-generating function domain is required.
The first three iterations give
Subtracting the appropriate powers of the expected value yields
In particular, the aggregate variance and third central moment involve the raw second and third severity moments, rather than their centered counterparts.