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The alchemy of probability distributions: beyond Gram-Charlier expansions, and a skew-kurtotic-normal distribution from a rank transmutation map

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  • William T. Shaw
  • Ian R. C. Buckley

Abstract

Motivated by the need for parametric families of rich and yet tractable distributions in financial mathematics, both in pricing and risk management settings, but also considering wider statistical applications, we investigate a novel technique for introducing skewness or kurtosis into a symmetric or other distribution. We use a "transmutation" map, which is the functional composition of the cumulative distribution function of one distribution with the inverse cumulative distribution (quantile) function of another. In contrast to the Gram-Charlier approach, this is done without resorting to an asymptotic expansion, and so avoids the pathologies that are often associated with it. Examples of parametric distributions that we can generate in this way include the skew-uniform, skew-exponential, skew-normal, and skew-kurtotic-normal.

Suggested Citation

  • William T. Shaw & Ian R. C. Buckley, 2009. "The alchemy of probability distributions: beyond Gram-Charlier expansions, and a skew-kurtotic-normal distribution from a rank transmutation map," Papers 0901.0434, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:0901.0434
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arjun Gupta & John Chen, 2004. "A class of multivariate skew-normal models," Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Springer;The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, vol. 56(2), pages 305-315, June.
    2. Samuel Kotz & Donatella Vicari, 2005. "Survey of developments in the theory of continuous skewed distributions," Metron - International Journal of Statistics, Dipartimento di Statistica, Probabilità e Statistiche Applicate - University of Rome, vol. 0(2), pages 225-261.
    3. Robert JARROW & Andrew RUDD, 2008. "Approximate Option Valuation For Arbitrary Stochastic Processes," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Financial Derivatives Pricing Selected Works of Robert Jarrow, chapter 1, pages 9-31, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Marc G. Genton, 2005. "Discussion of ‘‘The Skew‐normal’’," Scandinavian Journal of Statistics, Danish Society for Theoretical Statistics;Finnish Statistical Society;Norwegian Statistical Association;Swedish Statistical Association, vol. 32(2), pages 189-198, June.
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