Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / iii / Paper 41 / 3 / Solution

The Poisson distribution mass function isIt is an exponential dispersion family of order one withIndeed, $b^{\prime }(\theta )=e^{\theta }=E(Y)$ and $\varphi b^{\prime \prime }(\theta )=e^{\theta }=\mathrm{Var}(Y)$. A generalized linear model specifies independent random variables from a response exponential family, together with a linear predictor and a link function relating it to the response mean. The Poisson canonical link is $g(\mu )=\log \mu$.

For the insurance counts, let class $1$ and merit $0$ be the reference levels in a regression factor. The fitted Poisson regression assumesThe insured exposure $n_{ij}$ is known; its logarithm is an offset, not a coefficient to estimate. The model has eight free mean parameters and fixes the dispersion parameter at one. It assumes additive class and merit effects on the log-rate scale, hence multiplicative effects on the rate scale without a class-by-merit interaction.

Apart from constants independent of the parameters, the log-likelihood isDifferentiating gives the Poisson regression margin-matching score equationsThus the fitted totals equal the observed totals in each class and merit category, including the reference categories by subtraction. In design matrix notation these equations are $Z^T(Y-\hat{\mu })=0$. Fisher scoring solves them iteratively; the reported three iterations describe the numerical fit, not an additional statistical result.

The regression intercept gives the baseline fitted claim rate $e^{-2.0357359}=0.130584$ per insured car year. The merit rate ratios, relative to merit $0$ at the same class, areThe class rate ratios, relative to class $1$ at the same merit, areEach predicted cell rate is the baseline rate times its class and merit multipliers. The output's coefficient-to-standard error ratios are asymptotic normal Wald test statistics under the fitted Poisson regression, despite the software label “t value”; there is no estimated Gaussian residual scale in this model. All nonreference effects have very large absolute ratios.

The null Poisson deviance is $33854.16$ on nineteen statistical degrees of freedom; adding the seven factor coefficients reduces it by $33274.6437$. But the final Poisson deviance is still $579.5163$ on twelve statistical degrees of freedom, and the deviance residuals include values near $-10.79$ and $11.63$. These are far beyond what a well-fitting unit-dispersion model would normally produce. The additive Poisson model fits substantially better than a common rate, but remains grossly inadequate. A class-by-merit interaction, overdispersion, or statistical dependence between claims could contribute; the summary alone does not distinguish these explanations. Its very small nominal standard errors and formal Wald tests rely on the rejected model, so improved mean structure and error assumptions are needed before treating them as reliable uncertainty assessments.