Randomization Inference: Theory and Applications

Abstract

We review approaches to statistical inference based on randomization. Permutation tests are treated as an important special case. Under a certain group invariance property, referred to as the ``randomization hypothesis,'' randomization tests achieve exact control of the Type I error rate in finite samples. Although this unequivocal precision is very appealing, the range of problems that satisfy the randomization hypothesis is somewhat limited. We show that randomization tests are often asymptotically, or approximately, valid and efficient in settings that deviate from the conditions required for finite-sample error control. When randomization tests fail to offer even asymptotic Type 1 error control, their asymptotic validity may be restored by constructing an asymptotically pivotal test statistic. Randomization tests can then provide exact error control for tests of highly structured hypotheses with good performance in a wider class of problems. We give a detailed overview of several prominent applications of randomization tests, including two-sample permutation tests, regression, and conformal inference.