A Goodness of Fit Approach to Major Lifetesting Problems

Lifetesting problems have been the subject of investigations for over three decades. Most suggested approaches are markedly different from those used in the related but wider goodness of fit problems. In the current investigation, it is demonstrated that a goodness of fit approach is possible in many lifetesting problems and that It results in simpler procedures that are asymptotically equivalent or better than standard ones. They may also have superior finite sample behavior. Several perennial classes are addressed here. The class of increasing failure rate (IFR) and the class of new better than used (NBU) are addressed first. In addition, we provide testing for a newer and practical class of new better than used in convex ordering (NBUC) due to Cao and Wang (1991). Other classes can be developed similarly and this point is illustrated with the classes of new better than used in expectation (NBUE) and harmonic new better than used in expectation (HNBUE).