Flexible Class of Skew-Symmetric Distributions

Modelling Bimodal Data Using a Multivariate Triangular-Linked Distribution

Bimodal distributions have rarely been studied although they appear frequently in datasets. We develop a novel bimodal distribution based on the triangular distribution and then expand it to the multivariate case using a Gaussian copula. To determine the goodness of fit of the univariate model, we use the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) and Cramér–von Mises (CVM) tests. The contributions of this work are that a simplistic yet robust distribution was developed to deal with bimodality in data, a multivariate distribution was developed as a generalisation of this univariate distribution using a Gaussian copula, a comparison between parametric and semi-parametric approaches to modelling bimodality is given, and an R package called btld is developed from the workings of this paper.

A Symmetric/Asymmetric Bimodal Extension Based on the Logistic Distribution: Properties, Simulation and Applications

In this paper, we introduce bimodal extensions, one symmetric and one asymmetric, of the logistic distribution. We define this new density and study some basic properties. We draw inferences from the moment estimator and maximum likelihood approaches. We present a simulation study to assess the behaviour of the moment and maximum likelihood estimators. We also study the singularity of the Fisher information matrix for particular cases. We offer applications in real data and compare them with a mixture of logistics distributions.

A Multivariate Flexible Skew-Symmetric-Normal Distribution: Scale-Shape Mixtures and Parameter Estimation via Selection Representation

Multivariate skew-symmetric-normal (MSSN) distributions have been recognized as an appealing tool for modeling data with non-normal features such as asymmetry and heavy tails, rendering them suitable for applications in diverse areas. We introduce a richer class of MSSN distributions based on a scale-shape mixture of (multivariate) flexible skew-symmetric normal distributions, called the SSMFSSN distributions. This very general class of SSMFSSN distributions can capture various shapes of multimodality, skewness, and leptokurtic behavior in the data. We investigate some of its probabilistic characterizations and distributional properties which are useful for further methodological developments. An efficient EM-type algorithm designed under the selection mechanism is advocated to compute the maximum likelihood (ML) estimates of parameters. Simulation studies as well as applications to a real dataset are employed to illustrate the usefulness of the presented methods. Numerical results show the superiority of our proposed model in comparison to several existing competitors.

The Censored Beta-Skew Alpha-Power Distribution

This paper introduces a new family of distributions for modelling censored multimodal data. The model extends the widely known tobit model by introducing two parameters that control the shape and the asymmetry of the distribution. Basic properties of this new family of distributions are studied in detail and a model for censored positive data is also studied. The problem of estimating parameters is addressed by considering the maximum likelihood method. The score functions and the elements of the observed information matrix are given. Finally, three applications to real data sets are reported to illustrate the developed methodology.

The Exponential-Centred Skew-Normal Distribution

Data from some research fields tend to exhibit a positive skew. For example, in experimental psychology, reaction times (RTs) are characterised as being positively skewed. However, it is not unlikely that RTs can take a normal or, even, a negative shape. While the Ex-Gaussian distribution is suitable to model positively skewed data, it cannot cope with negatively skewed data. This manuscript proposes a distribution that can deal with both negative and positive skews: the exponential-centred skew-normal (ECSN) distribution. The mathematical properties of the proposed distribution are reported, and it is featured in two non-synthetic datasets.

On Properties of the Bimodal Skew-Normal Distribution and an Application

The main object of this paper is to develop an alternative construction for the bimodal skew-normal distribution. The construction is based upon a study of the mixture of skew-normal distributions. We study some basic properties of this family, its stochastic representations and expressions for its moments. Parameters are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. A simulation study is carried out to observe the performance of the maximum likelihood estimators. Finally, we compare the efficiency of the new distribution with other distributions in the literature using a real data set. The study shows that the proposed approach presents satisfactory results.

Likelihood-Based Inference for the Asymmetric Beta-Skew Alpha-Power Distribution

This paper introduces a new family of asymmetric distributions that allows to fit unimodal as well as bimodal and trimodal data sets. The model extends the normal model by introducing two parameters that control the shape and the asymmetry of the distribution. Basic properties of this new distribution are studied in detail. The problem of estimating parameters is addressed by considering the maximum likelihood method and Fisher information matrix is derived. A small Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to examine the performance of the obtained estimators. Finally, two data set are considered to illustrate the developed methodology.

Heavy or semi-heavy tail, that is the question

While there has been considerable research on the analysis of extreme values and outliers by using heavy-tailed distributions, little is known about the semi-heavy-tailed behaviors of data when there are a few suspicious outliers. To address the situation where data are skewed possessing semi-heavy tails, we introduce two new skewed distribution families of the hyperbolic secant with exciting properties. We extend the semi-heavy-tailedness property of data to a linear regression model. In particular, we investigate the asymptotic properties of the ML estimators of the regression parameters when the error term has a semi-heavy-tailed distribution. We conduct simulation studies comparing the ML estimators of the regression parameters under various assumptions for the distribution of the error term. We also provide three real examples to show the priority of the semi-heavy-tailedness of the error term comparing to heavy-tailedness. Online supplementary materials for this article are available. All the new proposed models in this work are implemented by the shs R package, which can be found on the GitHub webpage.

An Asymmetric Bimodal Distribution with Application to Quantile Regression

In this article, we study an extension of the sinh Cauchy model in order to obtain asymmetric bimodality. The behavior of the distribution may be either unimodal or bimodal. We calculate its cumulative distribution function and use it to carry out quantile regression. We calculate the maximum likelihood estimators and carry out a simulation study. Two applications are analyzed based on real data to illustrate the flexibility of the distribution for modeling unimodal and bimodal data.

Alpha-Skew Generalized t Distribution

<p>The alpha-skew normal (ASN) distribution has been proposed recently in the literature by using standard normal distribution and a skewing approach. Although ASN distribution is able to model both skew and bimodal data, it is shortcoming when data has thinner or thicker tails than normal. Therefore, we propose an alpha-skew generalized t (ASGT) by using the generalized t (GT) distribution and a new skewing procedure. From this point of view, ASGT can be seen as an alternative skew version of GT distribution. However, ASGT differs from the previous skew versions of GT distribution since it is able to model bimodal data sest as well as it nests most commonly used density functions. In this paper, moments and maximum likelihood estimation of the parameters of ASGT distribution are given. Skewness and kurtosis measures are derived based on the first four noncentral moments. The cumulative distribution function (cdf) of ASGT distribution is also obtained. In the application part of the study, two real life problems taken from the literature are modeled by using ASGT distribution.</p>

Using skew-logistic probability density function as a model for age-specific fertility rate pattern

Fertility rate is one of the most important global indexes. Past researchers found models which fit to age-specific fertility rates. For example, mixture probability density functions have been proposed for situations with bi-modal fertility patterns. This model is less useful for unimodal age-specific fertility rate patterns, so a model based on skew-symmetric (skew-normal) pdf was proposed by Mazzuco and Scarpa (2011) which was flexible for unimodal and bimodal fertility patterns. In this paper, we introduce skew-logistic probability density function as a better model: its residuals are less than those of the skew-normal model and it can more precisely estimate the parameters of the model.