--- title: "Scalar mean inference" output: rmarkdown::html_vignette vignette: > %\VignetteIndexEntry{Scalar mean inference} %\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown} %\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8} --- ```{r, include = FALSE} knitr::opts_chunk$set(collapse = TRUE, comment = "#>", fig.width = 6, fig.height = 3.5) ``` This vignette uses a **synthetic** series. It shows the scalar case of affine-equivariant adjusted-range self-normalization, where the construction reduces exactly to adjusted-range self-normalization: the scaled estimation error is divided by the adjusted range (maximum minus minimum) of the centered partial-sum path. ## Setup The series is a stationary first-order autoregression with mean 0.3 and autoregressive coefficient 0.5. The parameter of interest is the mean. ```{r} library(aersn) set.seed(2026) n <- 300 y <- 0.3 + as.numeric(arima.sim(list(ar = 0.5), n)) fit <- aersn_mean(y) fit ``` The influence contribution of observation *t* for the sample mean is $Y_t - \bar Y_n$. The centered path $\hat G_n(k/n) = n^{-1/2}\sum_{t \le k}(Y_t - \bar Y_n)$ starts and ends at zero: ```{r} plot(fit$path) ``` ## Test of a point null For $H_0: \theta_0 = 0$ the statistic is $T_n(0) = |\sqrt n(\bar Y_n - 0)| / \{\max_k \hat G_n(k/n) - \min_k \hat G_n(k/n)\}$. Its limit is $|M| = |Z| / R$, where $Z$ is standard normal and $R$ is the range of an independent standard Brownian bridge. Two reference laws are available: * the closed-form continuous-path law (`reference = "continuous"`), whose five-percent critical value is 1.7058; and * the matched-grid law, simulated for a Brownian bridge on the same grid of `n` intervals as the sample path. Matched-grid quantiles are larger because a path observed on a grid has a smaller range than the continuous path. The manuscript uses matched-grid quantiles as critical values. ```{r} aersn_test(fit, null = 0, reference = "continuous") aersn_test(fit, null = 0, draws = 20000, seed = 1) ``` The matched-grid p-value is a Monte Carlo estimate; its standard error and resolution (one over the number of draws) are reported. A one-sided alternative uses the signed ratio: ```{r} aersn_test(fit, null = 0, alternative = "greater", reference = "continuous") ``` ## Confidence interval The confidence interval is $\bar Y_n \pm (c/\sqrt n)\,\mathcal R(\hat G_n)$, where $c$ is the reference quantile. ```{r} confint(fit, level = 0.95, draws = 20000, seed = 1) confint(fit, level = 0.95, reference = "continuous") ``` The interval endpoints are exactly the boundary of the set of null values that the test does not reject: ```{r} ci <- confint(fit, draws = 20000, seed = 1) aersn_gauge(fit, ci[1, "upper"]) # equals the critical value attr(ci, "critical.value") ``` ## What is and is not guaranteed The test is asymptotically valid when the partial sums of $Y_t - \theta_0$ satisfy a functional central limit theorem with positive long-run variance. No bandwidth, kernel, or block length is chosen. Under strong persistence the finite-sample null rejection rate exceeds the nominal level; the manuscript's simulations report, for example, 14.4 percent at autoregressive coefficient 0.9 with `n = 500` and `q = 2`.