Assume Y=X beta_0+epsilon where ϵ is zero mean and X is fixed. I know that under certain conditions on the design matrix X in OLS, the sample mean of the residuals e is 0. Can we say the same for the true population mean of residuals as well?

Pierre Holmes

Pierre Holmes

Answered question

2022-07-21

Assume Y = X β 0 + ϵ where ϵ is zero mean and X is fixed. I know that under certain conditions on the design matrix X in OLS, the sample mean of the residuals e ¯ is 0. Can we say the same for the true population mean of residuals as well?
Y ^ = X β ^ and
E [ e ] = E ( Y Y ^ ) = E [ X β 0 X β ^ ] = X ( β 0 E ( β ^ ) ) = 0
since β ^ is an unbiased estimator of β 0 .
Am I making a mistake?

Answer & Explanation

slapadabassyc

slapadabassyc

Beginner2022-07-22Added 21 answers

If we are treating X as fixed, which I take to mean non-random, then by assumption
E [ ϵ ] = 0
You are sort of going in a circle because you say E [ Y ] = X β 0 , but this is because of our prior assumption. It is a result not an assumption. We have
Y = X β 0 + ϵ E [ Y ] = E [ X β 0 + ϵ ] E [ Y ] = E [ X β 0 ] + E [ ϵ ] E [ Y ] = X β 0 + 0 E [ Y ] = X β 0
where the fourth line is a result of our assumption and X being non-random (as well as β 0 being a constant).

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