The mean residual life function of a population gives an intuitive and interesting perspective on the aging process. Here we present new nonparametric methods for comparing mean residual life functions based on two independent samples. These methods have the flexibility to handle crossings of the functions and result in a new type of confidence set. We also discuss similar methods for comparison of median residual life functions.
Estimating component and system reliabilities frequently requires using data from the system level. Because of cost and time constraints, however, the exact cause of system failure may be unknown. Instead, it may only be ascertained that the cause of system failure is due to a component in a subset of components. This paper develops methods for analysing such masked data from a Bayesian perspective. This work was motivated by a data set on a system unit of a particular type of IBM PS/2 computer. This data set is discussed and our methods are applied to it.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.