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Theory of Probability and Mathematical Statistics



A Markovian Gauss inequality for asymmetric deviations from the mode of symmetric unimodal distributions

Chris A.J. Klaassen

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Abstract: For a random variable with a unimodal distribution and finite second moment Gauß (1823) proved a sharp bound on the probability of the random variable to be outside a symmetric interval around its mode. An alternative proof for it under the assumption of a finite r-th absolute moment is given (r≥1), based on the Khintchine representation of unimodal random variables. A special instance of the resulting Narumi–Gauß inequality is the one with finite first absolute moment, which might be called a Markovian Gauß inequality.

For symmetric unimodal distributions with finite second moment Semenikhin (2019) generalized the Gauß inequality to arbitrary intervals. For the class of symmetric unimodal distributions with finite first absolute moment we construct a Markovian version of it. Related inequalities of Volkov (1969) and Sellke and Sellke (1997) will be discussed as well.


Keywords: Markovian Gauß inequality, Khintchine representation, Volkov inequality

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