Uniform inference in linear mixed models

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Hauptverfasser: Ekvall, Karl Oskar, Bottai, Matteo
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Ekvall, Karl Oskar
Bottai, Matteo
author_facet Ekvall, Karl Oskar
Bottai, Matteo
contents We provide finite-sample distribution approximations, that are uniform in the parameter, for inference in linear mixed models. Focus is on variances and covariances of random effects in cases where existing theory fails because their covariance matrix is nearly or exactly singular, and hence near or at the boundary of the parameter set. Quantitative bounds on the differences between the standard normal density and those of linear combinations of the score function enable, for example, the assessment of sufficient sample size. The bounds also lead to useful asymptotic theory in settings where both the number of parameters and the number of random effects grow with the sample size. We consider models with independent clusters and ones with a possibly diverging number of crossed random effects, which are notoriously complicated. Simulations indicate the theory leads to practically relevant methods. In particular, the studied confidence regions, which are straightforward to implement, have near-nominal coverage in finite samples even when some random effects have variances near or equal to zero, or correlations near or equal to $\pm 1$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_19633
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Uniform inference in linear mixed models
Ekvall, Karl Oskar
Bottai, Matteo
Statistics Theory
Methodology
We provide finite-sample distribution approximations, that are uniform in the parameter, for inference in linear mixed models. Focus is on variances and covariances of random effects in cases where existing theory fails because their covariance matrix is nearly or exactly singular, and hence near or at the boundary of the parameter set. Quantitative bounds on the differences between the standard normal density and those of linear combinations of the score function enable, for example, the assessment of sufficient sample size. The bounds also lead to useful asymptotic theory in settings where both the number of parameters and the number of random effects grow with the sample size. We consider models with independent clusters and ones with a possibly diverging number of crossed random effects, which are notoriously complicated. Simulations indicate the theory leads to practically relevant methods. In particular, the studied confidence regions, which are straightforward to implement, have near-nominal coverage in finite samples even when some random effects have variances near or equal to zero, or correlations near or equal to $\pm 1$.
title Uniform inference in linear mixed models
topic Statistics Theory
Methodology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19633