Bayesian estimation of a decreasing density

Abstract

Suppose $X_1,\dots, X_n$ is a random sample from a bounded and decreasing density $f_0$ on $[0,\infty)$. We are interested in estimating such $f_0$, with special interest in $f_0(0)$. This problem is encountered in various statistical applications and has gained quite some attention in the statistical literature. It is well known that the maximum likelihood estimator is inconsistent at zero. This has led several authors to propose alternative estimators which are consistent. As any decreasing density can be represented as a scale mixture of uniform densities, a Bayesian estimator is obtained by endowing the mixture distribution with the Dirichlet process prior. Assuming this prior, we derive contraction rates of the posterior density at zero by carefully revising arguments presented in Salomond (2014). Various methods for estimating the density are compared using a simulation study. We apply the Bayesian procedure to the current durations data described in Keiding et al.(2012).