Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods

The Korean Statistical Society (한국통계학회)
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A Clarification of the Cauchy Distribution

  • Received : 2014.01.16
  • Accepted : 2014.02.17
  • Published : 2014.03.31
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Abstract

We define a multivariate Cauchy distribution using a probability density function; subsequently, a Ferguson's definition of a multivariate Cauchy distribution can be viewed as a characterization theorem using the characteristic function approach. To clarify this characterization theorem, we construct two dependent Cauchy random variables, but their sum is not Cauchy distributed. In doing so the proofs depend on the characteristic function, but we use the cumulative distribution function to obtain the exact density of their sum. The derivation methods are relatively straightforward and appropriate for graduate level statistics theory courses.

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