On a limit theorem for a non-linear scaling
Zbigniew J. Jurek

TL;DR
This paper establishes a limit theorem for sums of i.i.d. positive random variables scaled by a non-linear transform, showing the limits are either degenerate or compound Poisson distributions.
Contribution
It introduces a novel non-linear scaling method and characterizes the possible weak limit distributions for sums of i.i.d. variables under this transformation.
Findings
Weak limits are either degenerate or compound Poisson distributions.
The non-linear transform used is $ ext{max}(0, x - r)$.
The result extends classical limit theorems to non-linear scaling contexts.
Abstract
In this note, we proved that weak limits, of sums of independent positive identically distributed random variables which are re-normalized by a non-linear shrinking transform , are either degenerate or (some) compound Poisson distributions.
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On a limit theorem for a non-linear scaling
Zbigniew J. Jurek (University of Wrocław)
(March 6, 2021)
Abstract. In this note we proved that weak limits, of sums of positive, independent and identically distributed random variables which are re-normalized by a non-linear shrinking transform , are either degenerate or (some) compound Poisson distributions.
Mathematics Subject Classifications(2020): Primary 60E05, 60E07, 60E10.
Key words and phrases: Laplace transform; weak convergence; functional equation.
*Abbreviated title: On a limit theorem for a non-linear scaling *
Addresses:
Institute of Mathematics, University of Wrocław, Pl. Grunwaldzki 2/4
50-384 Wrocław, Poland; www.math.uni.wroc.pl/$\sim$zjjurek ;
e-mail: [email protected]
In a probability theory often one describes behaviors of normalized partial sums of random variables or vectors. Most often a normalization of partial sums is done be affine (linear) transforms thus a normalization is applied directly to each summand; cf. Jurek and Mason(1993) or Meerscheart and Scheffler (2001). In this note positive random variables are normalized by a non-linear shrinking transformation (s-operation) and then partial sums are computed. A limit theorem for those sums is proved for non-negative independent and identically distributed variables; Theorem 1. The Laplace transform and some functional equations are the main tools in proofs. [See also a historical note on the s-operations in Section 6.]
1. A non-linear scaling and a theorem.
For , let us define a non-linear scalings (shrinking mappings, in short: s-operations)
[TABLE]
which have, among others, the one-parameter semigroup property:
[TABLE]
If is a non-negative random variable on a fixed probability space then may model a situation when one receives only an excess above some positive level . Similarly, such formula appears in mathematical finance as European call options where represents a price of a stock, is a strike price, and is an expected investor’s gain. Hence, sums , in (2) below, may be interpreted as a gain from portfolio of European call options with the same strike price .
In this note we prove the following:
Theorem 1**.**
Let a sequence and be a sequence of non-negative independent identically distributed random variables. Then
[TABLE]
if and only if either
[TABLE]
or
[TABLE]
where is an exponential probability distribution with a probability density .
In terms of Laplace transforms we have either or , for .
In (2) denotes a weak convergence of distributions and in (4) means equality of probability distributions. A measure in (4) is a particular compound Poisson measure , where .
2. Laplace transforms and the sufficiency part of Theorem 1.
For study of the weak convergence of non-negative random variables it is convenient to use their Laplace transforms. In that case, weak convergence of measures is equivalent to a point-wise convergence of their Laplace transforms; for instance cf. Feller (1966), Theorem 2a, p. 410.
Note that (1) and a simple calculation give a (cumulative) probability distribution function of :
[TABLE]
Note that at zero there is jump of a size .
Recall that the Laplace transform of a random variable is defined as
Hence
[TABLE]
This is so, because by (1) and (5) we get
[TABLE]
[Note that the function under last integral sign vanishes at zero].
Hence, from (6), for and independent identically distributed variables with a distribution function , we have
[TABLE]
Thus are continuous distribution function of finite measures on .
Here are examples of normalizing sequences and random variables such that with limits described in Theorem 1 by formulas (4) and (3), respectively.
Example 1. Let be i.i.d. exponentially distributed with probability density and for given , let us choose such that for all n such that . Then by (7), the limit of corresponding distributions is as follows
[TABLE]
Finally, we have the Laplace transform of a limit :
[TABLE]
Here we recognize that is a Laplace transform of compound Poisson variable , where are i.i.d. exponentially distributed with parameter and independent of a Poisson variable .
Example 2. Let random variables be independent with the same (cumulative) distribution function which has the probability density
. Note that a function on is continuous and strictly decreasing from infinity to zero. Thus for a given we may choose as the solution of the equation , that is, .
Taking into account the above, from (7), and for we have
[TABLE]
All in all, in this example, is a distribution function of a measure concentrated at zero with a mass . Consequently,
[TABLE]
or in other words, the limit with P.1.
This completes a proof of the necessity part of Theorem 1.
3. Some functional equations and their solutions.
From now on we assume that which (by (7)) is equivalent to
[TABLE]
where are distribution functions of finite measures on the positive half-line.
Lemma 1**.**
(i) If , in (2), then distribution functions are uniformly bounded, that is, .
(ii) If is a limit point of then .
Proof.
(i) In contrary, assume that there exists sub-sequence such that then from (6) we get that
[TABLE]
which contradict the fact that Laplace transform are positive functions.
Hence distribution functions of finite measures on the positive half-line and uniformly bounded (conditionally compact).
(ii) Let on be a weak limit of subsequence of distribution functions . Then
[TABLE]
Taking , the function under integral sign tends to zero and hence we must have which means that . This completes a proof of Lemma 1. ∎
Remark 1**.**
It may be worthy to recall that a family of probability measures on compact topological space is compact convolution semigroup, in weak topology; cf. Parthasarathy(1967), Theorem 6.4. p. 45.**
Remark 2**.**
For a discussion below recall that for (probability) distribution functions and we have*:*
(a) if , is continuity point of , then ;**
(b) if converges to point wise and is continuous then uniformly.**
From Lemma 1 and the limit in (7) we have that (weak convergence) to a distribution function of finite (not necessarily probability) measure . To identify we introduce auxiliary functions:
[TABLE]
In particular from Remark 2, we have that if is a continuity point of (note that may have a jump at ) and then .
From (7), for , we have that
[TABLE]
Lemma 2**.**
Assume that ( or choose a sub-sequence). Then
[TABLE]
Proof.
Since , from (10), we infere that
[TABLE]
∎
What are possible functions satisfying a functional equation (11)? We consider the three possible cases for a limit .
Lemma 3**.**
If (or choose a subsequence) then and are the only solutions to a functional equation , where .
Proof.
A case is obvious as is finite so we get .
Let . Then by the induction argument we have
[TABLE]
Since left hand side has a finite limit as therefore . Consequently, which gives and completes a proof. ∎
For the reaming case (i.e., ; cf. Lemma 2) we need the following elementary fact.
Fact. If and as the for each number there exists a sub-sequence such that .
Proof.
Choose explicitly . Then we have that and a length of an interval containing is as , which completes an argument. ∎
Lemma 4**.**
If then for any number there exists (depending on ) such that
[TABLE]
Proof.
From previous Fact, there exist a sub- sequence such that . Furthermore,
[TABLE]
Since limits in square brackets [ …] exist and are and , respectively, we infer that exists. Finally, we get a formula , which completes a proof of the lemma. ∎
Remark 3**.**
Note that for the equation (10) coincides with the one given in Lemma 3.
To solve the functional equation (10) we need some facts that are quoted in the Appendix and from them we have:
Lemma 5**.**
The only solutions to an equation (10) in Lemma 4 are
[TABLE]
Proof.
Using Appendix for
f(u):=H(u),\psi(y):=H(1+y),\ \mbox{and \phi such that}\ \phi(a):=b^{-1},
we retrieve our equation (11). Thus from (12), if .
In a case we get which implies and that gives
[TABLE]
From first restriction we get . Thus the second restriction imposes that which completes arguments for (13). ∎
4. Proof of the necessity part of Theorem 1.
From Lemma 2, we have that and from Lemma 5 we know forms of ( introduced in Lemma 2). Consequently, we have that either (constant) for and or
[TABLE]
This may be a written as
[TABLE]
Using (7) we have
[TABLE]
which completes a proof of Theorem 1.
5. Appendix.
For ease of reference let us quote the following fact.
Lemma 6**.**
Let functions , and be defined on real (or positive) numbers and satisfy equations
[TABLE]
If is continuous (or bounded on a set of positive Lebesque measure) then solutions to equation (14), part (i), are
[TABLE]
and for part (ii) solutions are
[TABLE]
cf. Aczel (1962), Theorem 8 on p. 22 or Aczel (1966), Chapter 3, Theorem 1 on p.150.
6. A historical note. A problem of the characterization of all possible limit distributions for sequences for positive variables was posed by Kazimierz Urbanik around 1971. (For many years the notation instead of was used.) Proofs presented in this paper are taken from MS Thesis [5] written in Polish language in 1972 and they were never publish before in English. References [3] and [7]-[9] are added to this article to point out the current state of the problem.
On the other hand, the Reader should be aware that the definition of shrinking s-transforms have a natural generalization to vector valued random variables as follows: and
[TABLE]
Urbanik problem for a Hilbert space valued, not necessarily identically distributed, random vectors was completely solved in 1977 where in the proof the Choquet Theorem on extreme points in convex compact sets was used; cf. Jurek (1981).
However, knowing solutions for real random variables it is not obvious how to infer characterizations for positive variables. Furthermore, Hilbert space generality may not be accessible for a wider audience. Those concerns led us to the decision to present here elementary proofs for non-negative random variables from [5].
Let us also add here that more recently, in Bradley and Jurek (2015), stochastic independence of variables in Theorem 1 was replaced by the weak dependence (strong mixing).
Last but not least, potential applications in a mathematical finance (mentioned in the Introduction) of which the Author was not aware 50 years ago, may generate some additional interest for this quite straightforward and elementary proofs.
Acknowledgments. Reviewer’s comments lead to a better presentation of some arguments and improved the language of this note.
References.
[1] J. Aczel (1962), On applications and theory of functional equations,
Birkhauser Verlag, Basel 1969.
[2] J. Aczel (1966), Lectures on functional equations and their
applications, Academic Press, New York.
[3] R. C. Bradley and Z.J. Jurek (2015), On a central limit theorem
for shrunken weakly dependent random variables, Houston Journal of
Mathematics, vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 621-638.
[4] W. Feller(1966), An Introduction to Probability Theory, vol. 2,
J. Wiley Sons, New York 1966.
[5] Z. J. Jurek (1972), On a class of limit distributions, University of
Wroclaw, MS Thesis (in Polish), University Archives, call number:
W IV-5200/Jurek Zbigniew; (To Archives e-mail address: [email protected])
[6] Z. J. Jurek (1981), Limit distributions for sums of shrunken random
variables, Dissertationes Mathematicae,vol. CLXXXV, Polskie
Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa, 1981, pp. 50;
(accepted for a publication on November 29, 1977).
[7] Z. J. Jurek and J. D. Mason (1993), Operator- limit distributions in
probability theory, J. Wiley Sons, Inc. New York
[8] M. M. Meerscheart and H-P Schefller (2001), Limit distributions for
sums of independent random vectors, J. Wiley Sons, Inc. New York.
[9] K. R. Parthasarathy (1967), Probability measures on metric spaces,
Academic Press, 1967.
