We introduce a non-parametric robust and asymptotically unbiased estimator for the tail index of a conditional Pareto-type response distribution in presence of random covariates. The estimator is obtained from local fits of the extended Pareto distribution to the relative excesses over a high...

A robust and asymptotically unbiased extreme quantile estimator is derived from a second order Pareto-type model and its asymptotic properties are studied under suitable regularity conditions. The finite sample properties of the proposed estimator are investigated with a small simulation experiment.

An item response theory model for dealing with omitted responses in a test is proposed. In this model formulation, non-response does not only depend on an examinee's ability and on item difficulty, but additionally also on 'test speededness'. Using a local-influence-based diagnostic approach,...

We discuss the estimation of the tail index of a heavy-tailed distribution when covariate information is available. The approach followed here is based on the technique of local polynomial maximum likelihood estimation. The generalized Pareto distribution is fitted locally to exceedances over a...

We introduce a class of asymptotically unbiased estimators for the second order parameter in extreme value statistics. The estimators are constructed by means of an appropriately chosen linear combination of two simple, but biased, kernel estimators for the second order parameter. Asymptotic...