Sum of exponential variables with linearly increasing rates (${\sum }_{i=1}^N{T}_i\stackrel{d}{=}{\max }_{i\le N}{E}_i$)

If the independent exponential random variables $T_i$ have rates $i\lambda$, thenwhere the $E_i$ are independent exponential random variables of rate $\lambda$. To see this, the first of $N$ independent exponential clocks rings at rate $N\lambda$; after it rings, the memoryless property leaves $N-1$ independent rate-$\lambda$ clocks. The successive order statistic gaps are therefore independent with rates $N\lambda ,(N-1)\lambda ,\dots ,\lambda$. Their sum has the same distribution as $\sum T_i$. In particular, for $x>0$, the tail at $Nx$ has logarithm $-\lambda Nx+o(N)$, since $1-(1-e^{-\lambda Nx}{)}^N\sim N{e}^{-\lambda Nx}$. The sum divided by $N$ has a large deviation principle with speed $N$ and rate function $\lambda x$ on $x\ge 0$, infinity otherwise.