Maximum Entropy Criterion for Moment Indeterminacy of Probability Densities

We deal with absolutely continuous probability distributions with finite all-positive integer-order moments. It is well known that any such distribution is either uniquely determined by its moments (M-determinate), or it is non-unique (M-indeterminate). In this paper, we follow the maximum entropy a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jordan M. Stoyanov, Aldo Tagliani, Pier Luigi Novi Inverardi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-01-01
Series:Entropy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/26/2/121
Description
Summary:We deal with absolutely continuous probability distributions with finite all-positive integer-order moments. It is well known that any such distribution is either uniquely determined by its moments (M-determinate), or it is non-unique (M-indeterminate). In this paper, we follow the maximum entropy approach and establish a new criterion for the M-indeterminacy of distributions on the positive half-line (Stieltjes case). Useful corollaries are derived for M-indeterminate distributions on the whole real line (Hamburger case). We show how the maximum entropy is related to the symmetry property and the M-indeterminacy.
ISSN:1099-4300