Saturday, 21 July 2007

pr.probability - When does the ratio X/Y of two random variables have a finite moment-generating function?

Let X and Y be two positive random variables with Y<X; these may be highly correlated. I would like a reasonable condition on X and Y so that the ratio X/Y has a finite moment-generating function. By this I mean that mathbbEerX/Y<infty for all rinmathbbR.



Here's one answer. Suppose that X and 1/Y both have super-Gaussian tail decay, that is,



P(X>u)leCecu2+delta,



for positive constants c, C and delta, and similarly for 1/Y. Then X/Y has super-exponential tail decay:



P(X/Y>u)=P(X>Yu and Yle1/sqrtu)+P(X>Yu and Y>1/sqrtu)



leP(1/Y>sqrtu)+P(X>sqrtu)



le2Cecu(2+delta)/2=2Cecu1+delta/2.



This gives a finite moment-generating function by the following simple argument, which uses the fundamental theorem of calculus and Tonelli's theorem. Let Z=X/Y.



mathbbEerZ=mathbbEleft[1+int0Zreru duright]=1+int0inftyrerumathbbP(Z>u) dule1+2Crint0inftyeruecu1+delta/2 du,



which is finite for all rinmathbbR. Thus, super-Gaussian tail decay suffices, but this is a very strong condition which I'd like to weaken.



(In fact, I only need that mathbbEerX/Y<infty for any one positive value of r=r0. In that case, we may choose r0=c/2, and take delta=0 in all the above arguments. Then the integral int0inftyer0uecu du still converges.)

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