First versus full or first versus last: U-statistic change-point tests under fixed and local alternatives

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Hauptverfasser: Dehling, Herold, Vogel, Daniel, Wendler, Martin
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Dehling, Herold
Vogel, Daniel
Wendler, Martin
author_facet Dehling, Herold
Vogel, Daniel
Wendler, Martin
contents The use of U-statistics in the change-point context has received considerable attention in the literature. We compare two approaches of constructing CUSUM-type change-point tests, which we call the first-vs-full and first-vs-last approach. Both have been pursued by different authors. The question naturally arises if the two tests substantially differ and, if so, which of them is better in which data situation. In large samples, both tests are similar: they are asymptotically equivalent under the null hypothesis and under sequences of local alternatives. In small samples, there may be quite noticeable differences, which is in line with a different asymptotic behavior under fixed alternatives. We derive a simple criterion for deciding which test is more powerful. We examine the examples Gini's mean difference, the sample variance, and Kendall's tau in detail. Particularly, when testing for changes in scale by Gini's mean difference, we show that the first-vs-full approach has a higher power if and only if the scale changes from a smaller to a larger value -- regardless of the population distribution or the location of the change. The asymptotic derivations are under weak dependence. The results are illustrated by numerical simulations and data examples.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_16789
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle First versus full or first versus last: U-statistic change-point tests under fixed and local alternatives
Dehling, Herold
Vogel, Daniel
Wendler, Martin
Methodology
Statistics Theory
62F03, 60F17, 62E20
The use of U-statistics in the change-point context has received considerable attention in the literature. We compare two approaches of constructing CUSUM-type change-point tests, which we call the first-vs-full and first-vs-last approach. Both have been pursued by different authors. The question naturally arises if the two tests substantially differ and, if so, which of them is better in which data situation. In large samples, both tests are similar: they are asymptotically equivalent under the null hypothesis and under sequences of local alternatives. In small samples, there may be quite noticeable differences, which is in line with a different asymptotic behavior under fixed alternatives. We derive a simple criterion for deciding which test is more powerful. We examine the examples Gini's mean difference, the sample variance, and Kendall's tau in detail. Particularly, when testing for changes in scale by Gini's mean difference, we show that the first-vs-full approach has a higher power if and only if the scale changes from a smaller to a larger value -- regardless of the population distribution or the location of the change. The asymptotic derivations are under weak dependence. The results are illustrated by numerical simulations and data examples.
title First versus full or first versus last: U-statistic change-point tests under fixed and local alternatives
topic Methodology
Statistics Theory
62F03, 60F17, 62E20
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16789