Ridge Estimation of the Inverse of a Covariance Matrix.

Abstract

In many situations the standard estimators for the inverse of a covariance matrix from a normal population provide unsatisfactory results. Proposed as an alternative is a random matrix which undergoes an adjustment similar to that undergone by the normal equations matrix in ridge regression. This ridge adjustment is justified by appealing to the spectral decomposition of the inverse of the sample covariance matrix, the bias in the estimators of the characteristic roots of this matrix, and a Monte Carlo simulation. The ridge adjusted estimator is shown to be superior in many cases, especially, for small sample sizes.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1976
Accession Number
ADA028727

Entities

People

  • Lyman L. Mcdonald
  • Robert K. Smidt

Organizations

  • University of Wyoming

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Covariance
  • Data Science
  • Decomposition
  • Equations
  • Estimators
  • Information Science
  • Mathematics
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Optimal Estimators
  • Simulations
  • Standards
  • Statistical Algorithms
  • Statistical Analysis

Fields of Study

  • Mathematics

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Statistical inference.