Skip to main content
Log in

On the Skewness Order of van Zwet and Oja

  • Published:
Mathematical Methods of Statistics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Van Zwet (1964) [16] introduced the convex transformation order between two distribution functions F and G, defined by FcG if G−1F is convex. A distribution which precedes G in this order should be seen as less right-skewed than G. Consequently, if FcG, any reasonable measure of skewness should be smaller for F than for G. This property is the key property when defining any skewness measure.

In the existing literature, the treatment of the convex transformation order is restricted to the class of differentiable distribution functions with positive density on the support of F. It is the aim of this work to analyze this order in more detail. We show that several of the most well known skewness measures satisfy the key property mentioned above with very weak or no assumptions on the underlying distributions. In doing so, we conversely explore what restrictions are imposed on the underlying distributions by the requirement that F precedes G in convex transformation order.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. B. C. Arnold and R. A. Groeneveld, “Skewness and Kurtosis Orderings: an Introduction”, in IMS Lecture Notes — Monograph Series, Vol. 22: Stochastic Inequalities (IMS, Hayward, CA, 1993), pp. 17–24.

    Google Scholar 

  2. B. C. Arnold and R. A. Groeneveld, “Measuring Skewness with Respect to the Mode”, Amer. Statist. 49, 34–38 (1995).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. E. Artin, The Gamma Function (New York—Chicago—San Francisco—Toronto—London, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. A, L. Bowley, Elements of Statistics (London, P. S. King & Son, 1901), 1st ed.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. R. A. Groeneveld and G. Meeden, “Measuring Skewness and Kurtosis”, J. Roy.Statist. Soc. Ser. D (The Statistician) 33, 319–399 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  6. D. V. Hinkley, “On Power Transformations to Symmetry”, Biometrika 62, 101–111 (1975).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. H. Hotelling and L. M. Solomons, “The Limits of a Measure of Skewness”, Ann. Math. Statist. 3, 141–142 (1932).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. H. L. MacGillivray, “Skewness and Asymmetry: Measures and Orderings”, Ann. Statist. 14, 994–1011 (1986).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. K. N. Majindar, “Improved Bounds on a Measure of Skewness”, Ann. Math. Statist. 33, 1192–1194 (1962).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. C. P. Niculescu and L. E. Persson, Convex Functions and Their Applications. A Contemporary Approach, in CMS Books in Mathematics (Springer, 2018), 2nd ed.

  11. H. Oja, “On Location, Scale, Skewness and Kurtosis of Univariate Distributions”, Scand. J. Statist. 8, 154–168 (1981).

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. K. Pearson, “Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Evolution, II. Skew Variation in Homogeneous Material”, Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc., London. A 186, 343–414 (1895).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M. Shaked and G. J. Shanthikumar, Stochastic Orders (Springer, 2006).

  14. G. R. Shorak and J. A. Wellner, Empirical Processes with Applications to Statistics (Wiley, 1986).

  15. G. U. Yule, An Introduction to the Theory of Statistics (Charles Griffin & Co., Ltd., 1922), 6th ed.

  16. W. R. van Zwet, Convex Transformations of Random Variables in Mathematical Centre Tracts (Amsterdam, 1964).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Eberl.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Eberl, A., Klar, B. On the Skewness Order of van Zwet and Oja. Math. Meth. Stat. 28, 262–278 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1066530719040021

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S1066530719040021

Keywords

AMS 2010 Subject Classification

Navigation